MOBILE, Ala. – A trio of newcomers will join the University of South Alabama men's golf program in the fall head coach Ben Hannan announced on Thursday.
Dawson Atkinson, Jacob Hatter and Jordan Plunkett all signed National Letters-of-Intent and will have four seasons of eligibility when they enroll in school in August. Both Atkinson and Plunkett are rated among the top 10 seniors in Alabama while Hatter is included in the top 20 in the Class of 2018 in Georgia.
"We're very excited with the 2018 signing class for next fall. All three embody what we look for in our student-athletes and are quality individuals," said Hannan. "They are good students, talented with strong work ethics and have shown the ability to shoot low scores against great competition. We think they will immediately add depth to an already talented team, all three have the ability to contribute right away. Each player has a lot of upside and together they will be a big part of this program in the years ahead."
Atkinson — who hails from Trussville, Ala. — recorded top-25 results in three of the four tournaments he competed in last summer while posting his low 18-hole score of the season at the other event. He began by firing a 68 in the second of three rounds at the 68th annual Press Thornton Future Masters in June, ending up 35th in a field of 229 competitors, following up by placing 12th and ninth at Southeastern Junior Golf Tour events in consecutive weeks the next month. Atkinson then came in 25th out of 145 players at the Alabama Boys State Junior Championship, where he opened with a 69 en route to a 213 54-hole total.
He was a four-year letterwinner at Hewitt-Trussville High, where he was the medalist at the 2016 Calera Invitational with a score of 69 and helped the Huskies to a first-place finish at last spring's sectional tournament.
"Dawson has a lot of speed and is a very natural player with good swing mechanics," Hannan stated. "He has been a consistent player throughout junior golf and competed at a high level in many state and regional tournaments. He has a mature attitude when he plays and with his physical ability, he should transition well into collegiate golf."
Hatter has played in 11 junior events during the 2017 calendar year, finishing among the top 25 in the individual standings on all but one occasion; that includes three top-five results. He placed second in a field of 54 players at the SJGT Ole Miss Golf Course Junior Classic after breaking par in both rounds with scores of 71 and 67 — the latter was his lowest mark of the season — while adding a third-place finish at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour South Florida Junior Shootout. Hatter also came in fourth out of 86 competitors at the Callaway Gardens Junior Classic last time out, and he posted scores of 69 at the Davis Love III Junior Open and 70 at the Callaway Golf Junior Classic as well on the American Junior Golf Association circuit.
A native of Alpharetta, Ga., goes to Alpharetta High.
"Jacob is fundamentally very sound in all aspects of the game and has improved every summer against national competition," Hannan said. "He played different sports growing up and really only began playing golf seriously when he got into high school. Because of his background with other sports, he likes to compete; you can see that from his scores and when he plays. He has a calm and confident demeanor on the course and a game that is suited to do well in college."
Plunkett recorded top-10 results at seven of eight junior tournaments he competed in last season highlighted by a win at the SJGT TPC Sawgrass Junior Classic in August. He broke par in the first of two rounds to finish fourth in fields of 75 and 64 players, respectively, at the SJGT's Ol' Colony and Glen Arven Junior Classics before closing the year with a third-place result at the SJGT Tournament of Champions. After opening the campaign by placing among the top 10 in two SJGT tournaments — including ending up sixth out of 75 competitors at the Jaguars' home course, Magnolia Grove — Plunkett carded scores of 71 and 72 in the first and last rounds of the Press Thornton Future Masters. He was then ninth at the Alabama Boys State Junior Championship with a 208 54-hole score that included a season-best 68 in the opening round.
Plunkett, who hails from Sterrett, Ala., attends Hope Christian H.S.
"Jordan is also a very good ball striker with excellent swing technique," stated Hannan. "His game over the last couple of summers has really improved and become very consistent, which has allowed him to play well in the majority of events where he teed it up. He qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2016 and almost qualified for the 2017 U.S. Amateur as a junior, missing in a playoff, so he has experienced good success at a high level. His game and mental maturity should carry him well at the next level."
The Jaguars will begin the spring season by playing host to the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate at the Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course Feb. 12-13.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Birdie Club — the men's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Birdie Club go directly to support the South Alabama men's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/birdieclub.
—USA—
