KFDM COOP Posted September 4, 2006 Report Posted September 4, 2006 Lamar Ranked 11th in Golf World Preseason Coaches Poll Van Der Walt, Bekker listed among Top 50 Aug. 31, 2006 http://www.golfdigest.com/pdf/2006collegepoll_preview.pdf WILTON, Ct. - Lamar University, who returns all five golfers from the squad that tied for ninth place at the 2006 NCAA Men's Golf Championships in June, is ranked 11th in the Golf World preseason coaches poll, which will appear in magazine's September 1 issue. In addition to the Top 25 poll, Golf World also ranked the Top 50 "Players to Watch" for the 2006-07 season. The Top 10 golfers were listed and junior Dawie Van Der Walt and sophomore Oliver Bekker were listed, alphabetically, among the other 40 players. Oklahoma State's Pablo Martin was listed as the top player. Lamar won an NCAA-best seven tournaments last season and tied with Oklahoma State and Charlotte for the most Top-5 finishes with 12. The Cardinals placed fifth at the NCAA Central Regional in Chardon, Ohio to advance to the NCAA Championships for the first time in 20 years. Lamar also claimed its all-time best 20th Southland Conference championship. A native of Cape Town, South Africa, Van Der Walt played a demanding amateur schedule this summer that included participating in eight events. He posted Top 10 finishes at the Monroe Invitational and the Players Amateur, and advanced to the semifinals of the Western Open. He is currently ranked third in the Golfweek men's amateur rankings behind Webb Simpson of Wake Forest and Jonathan Moore of Oklahoma State. Van Der Walt was named to the PING All-America second team after posting a fourth place finish at the NCAA Championship with a 72-hole score of 7-under par 281. He turned in a third place finish at the NCAA Central Regional with a 54-hole score of 3-under 210. A first-team all-SLC selection, Van Der Walt led the team with a 72.20 season scoring average over 45 rounds. He posted eight Top 10 finishes this season, including winning medalist honors at the Del Walker Intercollegiate. He shot par or better in 23 rounds, including seven in the 60s with a season-low round of 65 at the Del Walker Intercollegiate. Bekker, who was named SLC freshman of the year and first-team all-SLC, posted a 72.76 season scoring average. He won medalist honors at the Bridgestone Intercollegiate and the SMC/Merrill Lynch Invitational. He finished the season ranked 32nd in the Golfweek Sagarin Performance Index and 36th in the Golfstat rankings. Also returning from the Cardinals NCAA Championships squad is senior Dusty Smith, junior Casey Clendenon and sophomore Justin Harding. Smith earned honorable mention PING All-America honors, becoming the seventh different Lamar golfer to earn PING All-America honors. He tied for 10th place at the NCAA Championship with a 72-hole score of 2-under par 286. He also tied for 15th place at the NCAA Central Regional and posted a 73.09 season scoring average over 45 rounds. Clendenon was named SLC player of the year and first-team all-SLC. He placed second at the SLC championships and posted a 72.67 season scoring average. Harding posted a 74.10 season scoring average and won medalist honors at the Baylor Invitational and the Xavier/Orange County National Invitational. Lamar opens the 2006 fall season Sept. 16-17 at the Gopher Invitational hosted by Minnesota.
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