Callaway Golf Company (ELY) signed five top-ranked amateurs to its professional staff: Lee McCoy, Aaron Wise, Thomas Detry, Matt NeSmith and Will Starke. All five of these players have recently turned professional after standout collegiate careers. They will all use Callaway equipment and Odyssey putters in professional competition.
Lee McCoy: McCoy was named a 1st Team All-American for 2016, he was a 3-time All-American selection at the University of Georgia, and he’s been one of the most highly regarded amateurs in the world this year. He was also selected SEC Player of the Year, won the 2016 SEC Championship, and was 3rd in the amateur rankings before turning professional. McCoy made headlines in March when he finished T4 at the Valspar Championship, the best finish on the PGA Tour by an amateur in nearly two decades. He competed in the 2015 U.S. Open, played on the 2015 U.S. Walker Team, and won 7 college tournaments during his amateur career.
Aaron Wise: Wise had an historic end to his college career, winning the NCAA Individual Championship and the NCAA Team Championship for the University of Oregon, in addition to being named a 1st Team All-American selection. And this week, he is playing in the U.S. Open at Oakmont after taking medalist honors in his local qualifying section. Before turning pro, he was the 5th ranked amateur in the world, and he won medalist honors at the 2016 PGA Tour Canada Q-School. He won 5 collegiate tournaments while at Oregon, and his other notable victories include the 2014 Inland Empire Amateur, 2015 Pacific Coast Amateur, and 2016 Australian Master of Amateurs.
Thomas Detry: Detry was the 7th ranked amateur in the world before turning pro after a tremendous NCAA career at the University of Illinois, which he capped off by winning the 2016 Big Ten Championship. In 2015, he was named the Big Ten Golfer of the Year and was voted an All-American. He also competed for Team Europe in the 2014 Palmer Cup. A native of Belgium, Thomas has represented his country at the World Team Amateur Championship as well.
Matt NeSmith: After earning All-American honors and winning the SEC Championship last year as a junior at the University of South Carolina, NeSmith won two events and was named 1st Team All-SEC and 1st Team All-American in 2016. Matt was ranked 8th in the most recent men’s amateur world rankings, and prior to his outstanding college career he was named the 2012 AJGA Rolex Player of the Year.
Will Starke: An All-American at the University of South Carolina, Starke got his professional career off to a great start by winning the Mackenzie Tour Q-School in April, earning full status on the Canadian Tour in 2016.
These five athletes join a long list of young, successful players on the company’s Tour Staff, including major winners Danny Willett and Lydia Ko, Branden Grace, Patrick Reed, Danny Lee, Harris English, Ryo Ishikawa, Emiliano Grillo, Thomas Pieters, Ollie Schniederjans, and Wesley Bryan, among many others.
Photo courtesy Callaway Golf Company
