•
Click here for Golfweek's complete list of verbal commitments.
By SEAN MARTINAssistant EditorBelow is a ranking of the top recruiting classes for the 2008-09 season. Rankings are based on verbal commitments already announced to Golfweek (updated Nov. 19):
BOYS1. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys’ posse includes the only AJGA player of the year (two-time recipient Peter Uihlein), only multiple AJGA invitational champ (Morgan Hoffmann) and one of the top international players (Germany’s Sean Einhaus) in this year’s class.
2. UCLA: The Bruins have one of the deepest lineups in the country, and that’s not going to change after signing three top-20 recruits. Gregor Main, No. 8 in the Class of 2008, put together one of the year’s most impressive performances with his eight-shot Ping Invitational victory. No. 15 Mauricio Azcue of Mexico and No. 17 Alex Shi Yup Kim also highlight the Bruins’ class.
3. Alabama: The Tide got verbals from two top-10 recruits – No. 3 Bud Cauley and No. 6 Hunter Hamrick. Cauley has shown he's ready for the next level; he's No. 22 in the
Golfweek/Titleist Amateur Rankings.
4. LSU: Head coach Chuck Winstead has been a strong recruiter in his short tenure. Two top-20 recruits (No. 10 Sang Yi, No. 16 Josh Jones) prove that. For good measure, the Tigers also signed Austin Gutgsell, winner of the Louisiana Junior and an AJGA title this year.
5. Florida State: The ‘Noles welcome Wesley Graham, No. 1 in the Golfweek/Titleist Junior Rankings. Brooks Koepka, No. 23 in the senior class, is also a solid addition.
6. Georgia: Patrick Reed, No. 5 in the Class of 2008, finished high school a year early so he could get to Athens. He’ll be joined by No. 26 William Kropp.
7. Arizona State: It’s hard to judge where international recruits stand, but the Sun Devils got two of the best in Sweden’s Bjorn Akesson and France’s Victor Dubuisson.
8. USC: Head coach Chris Zambri inherited Jamie Lovemark and Rory Hie. This time he fielded a couple strong recruits on his own in Hyun Seok Lim, No. 19 in the senior class, and 24th-ranked Alex Kang.
9. Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets will welcome James White, who shot an AJGA-record 61 this summer, and Ming Hao Wang, the 20th-ranked recruit.
10. Northwestern: Two top-30 players – Korea’s Jae Han Chun (No. 18 in the Class of 2008) and San Diego’s Sam Chien (No. 30) – are headed to Evanston, Ill.
• • •
GIRLS1. UCLA: The Bruins received verbal commitments from the No. 1 (Stephanie Kono) and No. 7 (Brianna Do) players in the Class of 2008.
2. Oklahoma State: Caroline Hedwall has already proven she’s ready for college golf. She finished T-3 while playing with the Swedish Junior National team at the Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championship in October. The Cowgirls added another Caroline, Germany's Caroline Masson, while Jaclyn Sweeney, No. 8 in the Class of 2008, is headed to Stillwater for the second half of this season (
Click here for Ray McCarthy's story on Jaclyn Sweeney).
3. Duke: Dan Brooks never carries a big roster. Mina Harigae, the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champ, is all he needs.
4. Pepperdine: The Waves will welcome one of this year's deepest classes with three top-30 recruits – U.S. Girls’ Junior runner-up Ayaka Kaneko (No. 3 in the Class of 2008), Canada's Jessica Wallace (No. 15) and Peru's Kiara Hayashida (No. 24).
5. USC: Korea’s Jennifer Song is one of the top prizes in this year’s class. Song, who has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Korea, tied for low amateur at the U.S. Open (T-39) and was a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She also finished 11th at the KB Star Tour Grand Final, a Korean LPGA tournament.
• • •
Sean Martin is a Golfweek assistant editor. To reach him e-mail smartin@golfweek.com.
Posted: 11/14/2007
print
email
discuss
