Kansas Men’s Golf Signs New Recruiting Class
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The University of Kansas men’s golf team landed three freshman as a part of the 2014 recruiting class KU head coach Jamie Bermel announced Thursday.
Daniel Hudson, from Western Springs Ill., signed a National Letter of Intent along with Spencer Painton from Aurora, Colo., and Gary Daoust who originates from Belgium but currently lives in Apopka, Fla.
Hudson is currently ranked 114 in the class of 2014. On the American Junior Golf Association tour (AJGA) he recorded an average this year of 72.5 to go along with four top-15 finishes and three top 10 finishes. Hudson also finished 16th in the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships following a four round total of 294 (+6) at Torrey Pines.
“Daniel had a very good summer on the AJGA,” Bermel said. “He was highly recruited by quite a few schools so we are very happy that he committed here. He has improved a lot this year and we think that he is going to really improve during his time here.”
Painton is ranked 230 in the class of 2014. In 2013 he was named Colorado Golf Association Junior Player of the Year. Painton is also is no stranger to success as he led Regis Jesuit High School to four straight state championships from 2010-13. In the fall of 2013 he won five out of the final six tournaments. The accolades don’t stop there as Painton went on to be a medalist in the 2013 Colorado High School 5A State Championship, the 2013 Colorado Junior Golf Association (CJGA) Tournament of Champions and in the 2013 CJGA Collegiate Invitational.
“Spencer is a very competitive athlete and golfer,” Bermel said. “He has a huge upside and a lot of potential as he just started competing seriously as a golfer the past two years. Prior to that he was a very accomplished swimmer.”
Rounding out the recruiting class is Gary Daoust who is ranked 85th in the Golfweek 2014 rankings. Daoust played on the Belgium National Team and finished in a tie for 18th in the European Boys Championship at Murcar Links in Scotland in 2013. In the 2012-13 season Daoust won the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT) Player of the Year award. During that time he finished in the top 10 in all eight FCWT events he played in including two victories.
“Daoust has a very polished game,” Bermel said. “He has had the honor of playing on the Belgium National Team for the last few years and has a lot of invaluable experience in being able to travel across Europe and compete at the highest level of junior golf in Europe.”
Bermel, in this class, has added three guys which he believes have to experience and ability to compete right away.
“All three of them are competitive golfers, very good students and they are all very excited to be wearing crimson and blue,” Bermel said. “In twenty-two years of coaching, I have never signed a player who has made the cut in the US Junior (Spencer Painton) or finished in the top 20 of the Callaway Junior World (Daniel Hudson). And not since Martin Laird have I had a player represent his country in the European Boys Championships (Gary Daoust).”
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