TAMPA, Fla. – Wilhelm Ryding isn’t just finding his rhythm on the green; he’s practically owning it. For the third time this season, the American Athletic Conference has named the University of South Florida junior the Men’s Golf Player of the Week.
The announcement came Thursday out of Irving, Texas, following a standout performance that saw Ryding slice through a competitive field at the Calusa Cup.
Competing at the Calusa Pines Golf Course in a tournament hosted by Iowa, Ryding secured a second-place finish in a field of 40 golfers. He turned in a scorecard of 8-under-par 208, a feat anchored by his consistency in the early stages of the event. Ryding fired back-to-back rounds in the 60s to start the tournament, matching his best individual finish of the year.
The performance was particularly notable for the caliber of competition Ryding outpaced. By the time the final putts dropped, the USF standout had finished ahead of five golfers ranked in the top 50 nationally. His individual success helped propel the Bulls to a fourth-place team finish, ending the event at 7-under-par in a pool of eight teams.
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This latest honor adds to an increasingly decorated career for the psychology major from Sweden. A former member of the Swedish National Golf Team, Ryding arrived at USF with a high pedigree, having ranked as the fourth-best junior in his home country and earning a Nordic Golf League Tour Card in 2023.
His transition to collegiate golf has been marked by steady progression; after averaging 73.33 in 15 rounds as a sophomore, he lowered his average to 71.69 during his 2024-25 campaign.
That breakout 2024-25 season saw Ryding earn AAC All-Conference honors. During that stretch, he carded a career-low 65 and a 54-hole best of 202 at the Valspar Collegiate.
He also proved his mettle on the big stage, firing a 6-under-par 66 at the NCAA Bremerton Regional—just three strokes shy of the course record—to help the Bulls clinch a spot in the NCAA Championship. To date, Ryding has accumulated 21 rounds of par or better and eight top-25 finishes across 48 career rounds for the Bulls.
With this latest accolade in the bag, Ryding and the South Florida squad are turning their attention to the finish line of the regular season.
The team is scheduled to travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to compete in the Wofford Invitational. That tournament, held from April 12-14, serves as the final tune-up before the post-season begins.
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