NORMAN, Okla. – University of South Alabama men's golfers Michael Garretson and Tyler Klava were recognized for their work in the classroom Wednesday after being named Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
It's the second time in as many years that the two — who completed their Jaguar careers in the spring — have been honored.
In order to be eligible for selection as a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar, individuals must be a junior or senior academically, have competed at least three full years at the collegiate level and participated in 50 percent of their team's competitive rounds. They must also maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or better, be of high moral character, be in good standing at their college or university, and at the NCAA Division I level have a season scoring average below 76.0.
Garretson was a first-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection for the third year in a row last season, posting a 73.38 stroke average and a team-leading six top-20 results. His best performance of the season came at the AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic, where the Acworth, Ga., resident shot a 4-under-par 140 total over 36 holes to tie for fourth place in a field of 75 competitors; that included a 4-under-par 68 in the second round, matching his low score of the year. Garretson also tied for fourth at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate — USA's first tournament of the spring — with a three-round 1-under-par 215 score and concluded his career by tying for eighth place individually at the league championship.
A native of Pace, Fla., Klava became just the third individual in program history to earn all-Sun Belt recognition each of his four years after being named second-team all-league as a senior. In his final season at the collegiate level, Klava recorded a 73.44 scoring average and topped the Jags with four top-10 performances. He carded 10 rounds of par or better the second half of the year while tying for ninth or higher four times in six outings. Klava paced the squad with a 3-under-par 213 54-hole total — which included a season-best 5-under-par 67 in the second round — at Auburn's Tiger Invitational, posted a season-low 5-under-par 211 score at the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship and tied for fifth at the Sun Belt Championship after shooting even-par 213.
The duo shared team-high honors during the 2014-15 campaign with 12 rounds at or below par.
Both graduated in May, with Garretson receiving a degree in business administration and Klava in management.
This marks the seventh year in a row that the GCAA has honored at least one individual from the program, and the fourth time in five seasons that multiple Jaguars have been recognized.
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).
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