Razorbacks Welcome Six New Golfers for 2007-08 Season

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas men’s golf team welcomes six newcomers for the highly anticipated 2007-08 season with the start of classes on Monday.

Head coach Brad McMakin inked four freshmen while David Lingmerth (So., West Florida) and Jamie Marshall (So., Nebraska) transferred into the Razorback program. The four decorated freshman include Sam Chavez, Alan Lee, Austin Berkovsky and Daniel Candon.

“(This group) wants to be here at Arkansas and that’s huge for us because that’s what I look for,” McMakin said. “I want kids who want to be here playing for me and this university, and these kids are die hard. They’re excited and extremely talented.”

Chavez, a native of Hillsborough, Calif., joins the Hogs from Woodside Priory Prep School after an impressive prep career. He won the 2006 and 2007 Hawaiian High School Boys Invitational, finished second at the North/South Junior and turned in a third-place finish at the AJGA Kansas City/Fidelity Investments Junior.

Lee hails from Lima, Peru, and the International Junior Golf Academy. He captured medalist honors at the 2006 IJGT Myrtlewood. Lee also finished second at the 2005 AJGA Hargray Junior Classic and 10th at the 2005 AJGA Golf Pride Junior Classic.

Berkovsky won the 2005 and 2006 Fort Worth Junior Golf Association Championship. The Aledo, Texas, native finished sixth in the Texas 4A State Championship in 2007 and was a two-time district champion. Berkovsky also garnered 4A All-State recognition in 2006 and 2007.

Candon comes to the Razorbacks from Miami (Fla.) Beach Senior High School. He finished 10th at the 2007 Doral Publix Tournament and turned in a 15th-place showing at the 2006 Orange Bowl Junior.

Lingmerth was a highly sought after transfer from the University of West Florida. The Tranas, Sweden, native was a 2007 NCAA Division-II Ping All-American. Lingmerth won the 2007 Southeastern Classic and finished third at the 2007 Gulf South Conference Championship. He posted a 71.85 scoring average as a freshman at West Florida last season with six rounds in the 60s.

Marshall comes to UA from Nebraska where he produced a successful freshman campaign with the Cornhuskers. The Castle Rock, Colo., native finished 27th at the Big 12 Championships and 16th at the UTSA Intercollegiate. Marshall also finished fourth in the 2007 Southwest Amateur Championship. He averaged a 76.00 for the Huskers in 2007 over 33 rounds. He will have to sit out the 2007-08 season at Arkansas after not receiving his release from Nebraska.

The Hogs begin the 2007-08 season at Gopher Invitational in Wayzata, Minn., on Sept. 15-16.