Michael Kim

College golf is a team game in an individual sport. That's why individual honors, such as the Haskins Award, are so important. An NCAA Championship is everyone's goal, but most college players have one eye on professional golf, as well.

Winning the Haskins Award puts players on the same list as stars such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Justin Leonard, David Duval, Stewart Cink, Jay Haas, Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell and Hunter Mahan.

Here is our first spring edition of the Haskins Watch List, which takes a look at some of the favorites for this season's award. This year's race seems to be especially wide-open. It's important to note that players not on the list are not excluded from consideration. Anyone can jump into contention with a win or two this spring.

The picture will get clearer as the spring continues, but here's an early look at some of the favorites: