Men's Golf Inks Highest Rated Golf Recruit In Team History
November 10, 2010 | Men's Golf
Nov. 10, 2010
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SEATTLE - Washington Husky men's golf coach Matt Thurmond may have just one member in his 2010 NCAA signing day class, but that one golfer is a big score for the Huskies.
Cheng Tsung Pan of Bradenton, Fla. via Taiwan - arguably the top recruit in the nation and the most heralded high school golfer to throw his hat into UW's ring - signed a national letter of intent on Wednesday.
"It's hard to describe just how excited we are to add Pan to our team. He is one of the best amateur golfers in the world," said Thurmond from CordeValle Resort where his team is playing the final round of the Gifford Championship. "More importantly, he is an even better person who will make UW proud in everything he does while he is here and after he is here."
"Pan has a very compelling journey that brings him here to Washington and it is an honor for us to be his next stop on that journey," continued Thurmond. "I can't wait to work with him on a daily basis and help him reach his goals and watch him help us reach our goals as a program."
Pan boasts impressive credentials that definitely justify the excitement surrounding his intention to join Huskies in the fall of 2011. He is currently rated as the world's No. 9 amateur - which includes college players - in Golfweek.com/amateurgolf.com's rankings. He also is 25th in the Scratch Players Championship rankings.
He is scheduled to join a Husky squad that will return most of the 2010-11 team intact. Although Washington has an entire 2011 spring season ahead of them, Pan's eventual arrival has his future teammates excited.
"It's going to be huge to have him," said sophomore Chris Williams, who won the Phil Mickelson Award in 2010 that is handed out to the nation's top freshman. "It's going to be nice to have a guy who has a lot of experience playing in big-time tournaments. It will definitely be a boost for the team and we're just fortunate to have him."
Pan's excellence began during his junior golf days. In 2007 at the age of 15, Pan became the youngest U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist since Bobby Jones. He is also the youngest medalist in Western Amateur history in 2009 and repeated as the tournament's medalist in 2010.
Pan had an eventful 2010 summer in the Northwest, competing in the U.S. Amateur Championship at Chambers Bay Golf Course and Scratch Players Championship at Gig Harbor's Canterwood Golf & Country Club. He lost during the match play portion in the Round of 64 at the U.S. Amateur to eventual champion Peter Uihlein, and was third at the Scratch Players Championship.
Born and raised in Taiwan, Pan moved to the United States in 2007 and attended the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Prior to arriving in the States, Pan was silver medalist in the 2006 Asian Games.
Cheng-Tsung Pan Bio:
One of the top college golf prospects in the nation and arguably the highest-regarded recruit in Matt Thurmond's nine years at Washington ... currently ranked ninth in Golfweek/amateurgolf.com world rankings, after finishing 201st in 2009 and 352nd in 2008 ... is 25th in the Scratch Players Championship rankings ... in 2007 at the age of 15, became the youngest U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist since Bobby Jones ... youngest medalist in Western Amateur history in 2009 ... won again in 2010 to be first player to earn medalist honors at the Western Amateur in consecutive years since PGA Tour player Aron Price in 2003 and '04 ... third at the 2010 Scratch Play Championships held at Canterwood Golf & Country Club in Gig Harbor, Wash. ... tied for third at the 2010 Azalea Invitational and was fourth at the 2010 Southern Amateur and Monroe Invitational ... won the 2007 Naples Beach Open and 2008 Mission Inn - Las Colinas Open ... second at the 2008 IMGA/DLGA Championship and third at the Mission Hills Pete Dye Invitational ... finished second at 2007 Volvo China Open Qulitier Games ... 2006 DOHA Asian Game Silver Medalist after firing an 11-under ... wrote a blog for Golfweek.com as a senior (http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/sep/29/junior-diary-my-exciting-move-us/?BLOG-BlogJr) ... attended IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla. ... introduced to golf when he was five years old by mother who was a caddy at a local Taiwanese golf course ... youngest of six children - four sisters and one brother ... from Miaoli County, Taiwan ... born Nov. 12, 1991
Players Mentioned
