NORMAN, Okla. – Christo Lamprecht of Georgia Tech and South Africa, Leandro Mihaich of Oklahoma Christian University and Argentina, Justin Chan of Carnegie Mellon University and England, Isac Wallin of Keiser University and Sweden, and Gaspar Glaudas of Indian Hills Community College and France are the inaugural recipients of the Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award presented by FlightScope, as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America in partnership with FlightScope. The award is given to five outstanding collegiate golfers from outside the United States, one each for NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA.
“Education is a powerful and essential tool for success, and it’s a great honor to have my name associated with an award that recognizes the dedication of international golfers at universities and colleges across the USA,” said World Golf Hall of Famer, Gary Player. “I am incredibly proud to congratulate Christo Lamprecht, a fellow South African and a talented collegiate golfer at Georgia Tech, on receiving the Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award. For many years now, I have been impressed by Christo’s work ethic and how he carries himself under immense pressure. I believe Christo’s successes will help ignite the passion in many amateur golfers to work hard, not only on the course but also in the classroom, as they strive to achieve greatness.”
Considered one of golf’s “Big Three” with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player has left an everlasting impact on the game of golf by being a worldwide ambassador, philanthropist, and golf course designer. One of only five golfers and the only one not from the United States to win the career grand slam, Player has continuously used his position to improve the lives of others in a positive way as a humanitarian and has focused strongly on education for the underprivileged. He is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, which celebrates sport’s ability to create positive change in the world. Player’s outstanding career has included 165 professional wins on six continents over seven decades and was acknowledged with being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, the PGA TOUR’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Services to Golf in 2012, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020.
“My gratitude to the Golf Coaches Association of America for exemplifying what makes sport so special,” Player continued. “As Nelson Mandela said, ‘Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.”
“FlightScope is honored to partner with the GCAA and the legendary Gary Player as the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award,” said Henri Johnson, who founded FlightScope in South Africa in 1989. “This collaboration aligns perfectly with our commitment to nurturing golf talent worldwide. We congratulate all the recipients of this prestigious award and look forward to seeing what they can achieve on a global stage.”
Division I: When he graduated with Honors and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Georgia Tech in May, Lamprecht took one of the most decorated collegiate and amateur careers with him to the professional ranks. The George, South Africa, native finished inside the top 21 in 11 tournaments this season with six top-10s and a win at the Fighting Illini Invitational. Lamprecht earned a laundry list of accolades before clinching his fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2024 via PGA TOUR University at the conclusion of the season. He was named PING First-Team All-America for the second straight year, the ACC Golfer of the Year, the 2024 Byron Nelson Award recipient, and a Ben Hogan Award finalist among other national, regional, and conference recognitions. After winning The Amateur Championship last summer, Lamprecht was the low amateur at The Open (2023) and competed in this past April’s Masters Tournament.
Division II: Also the 2024 Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday recipient for Division II, Mihaich transferred to Oklahoma Christian after being a PING Second-Team All-American at Oklahoma City (NAIA) last season – and he didn’t miss a beat. The sophomore from Bell Ville, Argentina, won the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Championship, finished second at the South Central/West Regional, and won both of his matches in 2024 NCAA Division II Championship Medal Match Play. With nine top 10 and seven top-five finishes, Mihaich earned LSC Newcomer of the Year, First-Team All-LSC, PING All-Region, and PING First-Team All-America honors while leading the Eagles to their third straight NCAA Championship appearance. Finishing T1 in Final Qualifying at Brookhaven Golf Course in July, Mihaich qualified for this week’s U.S. Amateur Championship.
Division III: A PING First-Team All-American and First-Team All-University Athletic Association (UAA) selection, Chan carded two top three and four top-10 finishes this season, leading the Tartans to a University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship and Visit Florence Intercollegiate victories. The junior from London, England, won both of his UAA Championship matches, finished second in the 125-person Golfweek October Classic, T3rd at the Visit Florence Intercollegiate, and T15 at the NCAA Division III Championship. Chan received his first Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar recognition and helped Carnegie Mellon to their 13th consecutive GCAA Outstanding Team Academic Award, making President’s Special Recognition in 2023-24 for their 3.70 team grade point average.
NAIA: Also the 2024 Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday recipient for NAIA, Wallin rewrote the Keiser history books throughout his career. After recording the lowest adjusted scoring average in NAIA (69.9) and finishing inside the top 10 nine times and top five seven times this season, the Kungsängen, Sweden, native became the first Seahawk to be named to a PING All-America team four times and earn Sun Conference Golfer of the Year honors multiple times. A native of, The PING First-Team All-American won four of his 10 tournaments, including the Saint Leo Invitational that fielded 19 NCAA Division II programs, four of whom were ranked in the top 17 nationally by the Bushnell/Golfweek DII Coaches Poll. Wallin shot a school-record 54-hole total of 199 (65-67-67, -17) for a six-stroke victory.
NJCAA: The top-ranked player in NJCAA Division I for much of 2023-24, Glaudas finished inside the top eight in each of his last 10 tournaments for the Warriors, winning two of them. The sophomore from Sainte-Tulle, France, who will be continuing his collegiate career at NCAA Division I’s Stetson University starting next month, used 13 birdies and a six-under 210 (68-74-68) to win the Big O Classic, an NCAA Division I-hosted tournament, by five strokes. With 14 birdies and a 10-under 203 (68-67-68) at the WIU Intercollegiate, another NCAA Division I-hosted tournament, in April, Glaudas won his fourth-career collegiate tournament by 12 shots. Already October 2023’s NJCAA Division I SwingU College Player of the Month, the NJCAA Division I SwingU College Player of the Fall, and a six-time Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Athlete of the Week honoree on the season, Glaudas earned PING All-Central Region, PING First-Team All-America, and ICCAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year distinctions postseason.
The Gary Player Award is selected by GCAA International member coaches with representation from around the world.
About FlightScope
FlightScope is the industry leader and pioneer in tracking and analyzing sports performance data. The company was founded in 1989 when its proprietary technology was originally used to track projectiles for the defense industry. Turning its attention to the world of sports, FlightScope has introduced a variety of innovations to help improve athletic performance in multiple sports categories, including golf, baseball, softball, tennis, athletics, and cricket. For the accuracy you demand, FlightScope technology gives you performance data you can trust.
For more information, please visit www.flightscope.com.
About Golf Coaches Association of America
Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of men’s collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA’s mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic, and civic endeavors.
