KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island had four players named as 2024-25 NCAA Division I Cobalt Golf All-America Scholars, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday afternoon. Graduate transfer Sean Magarian, junior Aidan O'Donovan and sophomores Tony Liu and Josiah Tong all earned the recognition.  

To be eligible for Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically. In addition, they must participate in 50% of their team's competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.

Rhode Island now has had 30 honorees in the 14 years Gregg Burke has been head coach. It is the most All-America Scholar recipients of any New England school or Atlantic 10 school during that time span.

"It is and will always be one of the best days of the year when I can call a player and tell him he was named an All-American Scholar," Burke said. "Academic responsibility is always the first thing we talk about with recruits and their parents. It is part of our culture to succeed at the highest level we can in the classroom and on the golf course."

Tong has a cumulative 4.0 grade-point average and is an Honors Program student.

"Academic success is part of his DNA," Burke said. "He sets a wonderful example with his work ethic. Tony is a 3.7 student who takes his academic responsibility with focus and pride.

"Aidan had to scratch and claw his way to a 3.3 GPA simply because he had a slow start to his academic career. While it may have taken a little longer for him to accept responsibility, he made it a top priority to accomplish great things in the classroom.  His 3.6 this past semester better fulfills his potential. He is clearly on a path of tremendous success.

"I couldn't be happier to finally see Sean named an All-American Scholar. It was something we talked about at great length before he came here. Nominating such a worthy candidate was a privilege and only outmatched by the phone call telling him about his award. This may mean more to him than any player we've ever had."

There were 548 NCAA Division I athletes from 188 schools who earned 2024-25 Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar honors. College of Charleston, Georgia Southern, Hawai'i, and Mississippi State each had six recipients, tied with Rhodes (NCAA Division III) and Texas Wesleyan (NAIA) for the most recipients from one school across all six divisions in 2024-25.

Rhode Island opens the 2025-26 season at the Sacred Heart Fall Classic on Sept. 8.