UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's golf team will welcome four student-athletes, all who hail from Pennsylvania, for the 2019-20 season. The class of 2019 includes some of the commonwealth's best junior golfers, each of whom has earned a top-eight ranking in the state. Jimmy Meyers, Brady Pevarnik, Patrick Sheehan and Ben Smith have signed their National Letters of Intent to enroll at Penn State and compete for the Nittany Lion men's golf program.
"We are excited to welcome Brady, Patrick, Ben and Jimmy," said Penn State head men's golf coach Greg Nye. "Our state was rich with prospects in this year and we feel fortunate to have what we know are four of the very best. The all did great things through the summer, and then to see each of them advance through all levels of the state championship this fall and all in contention to win in the final round speaks volumes about the entire group."
Hailing from Wexford, Pennsylvania, Jimmy Meyers will try to follow in the footsteps of other great athletes to come to the Nittany Lions from state powerhouse Pittsburgh Central Catholic. A model of consistency during the 2018 season, Meyers recorded nine top-15 finishes nationwide, culminating in a runner-up finish at the PIAA State Championships where he birdied three of his final four holes to secure second place.Two weeks before the State Championships, Meyers fended off other soon-to-be NCAA Division I student-athletes to win the WPIAL title at historic Oakmont Country Club. Meyers will bring a wealth of competitive experience to Penn State for the fall of 2019.
Brady Pevarnik comes to Penn State as one of the most sought-after prospects from western Pennsylvania and has been one of the most consistent players in junior golf for many years. A Latrobe, Pennsylvania, native, Pevarnik put together a solid 2018 campaign that saw much of his success on the amateur level, including a runner-up finish at the West Penn Amateur and a Westmoreland County Amateur Championship. He also held the lead through two rounds at the Pennsylvania State Amateur Championship, played at world-renowned Sunnehanna Country Club. Pevarnik would ultimately finish in a tie for third, an impressive finish in a field that consisted of several NCAA Division I and top-ranked amateur players.
A Doylestown, Pennsylvania, native, Sheehan brings a rare blend of power and touch to the 2019 recruiting class. With a 6'5" frame that consistently allows him to swing the club at 120+ mph, Sheehan's great play in summer of 2018 was highlighted by a trip to the Junior PGA Championship at the famed Valhalla Golf Club. His impressive rounds of 71-75-75-73 placed him 41st at the event overall. After verbally committing to the Nittany Lions, Patrick capped off his 2018 season with a third-place finish at the PIAA State Championships in October 2018.
A rising star from Blain, Pennsylvania, and West Perry High School, Ben Smith made a splash in the junior golf world in the summer of 2018. AJGA's 108th ranked player and a three-sport athlete for the Mustangs, Smith played in four AJGA tournaments in 2018, finishing in the top five three times, including a win at the FORE Performance Junior Championship with rounds of 73-68-73. Ben capped off his summer with another win at the Grandover Junior Amateur at the Grandover Resort in North Carolina shooting 74-69 (-1). Smith is also a starter on his high school basketball and baseball teams.
Keep up to date with the latest information about the Nittany Lion Men's Golf team on Twitter at @PennStateMGolf and Facebook. Follow Coach Greg Nye on Instagram at @CoachNyePSU.
