Chan Named Division III Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award

(NORMAN, Okla.) – Senior Justin Chan (Surrey, England) of the Carnegie Mellon University men's golf team has been recognized as the inaugural Division III recipient of the Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award presented by FlightScope, as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) in partnership with FlightScope. The award is given to five outstanding collegiate golfers from outside the United States, one each for NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA.

"Education is a powerful and essential tool for success, and it's a great honour to have my name associated with an award that recognizes the dedication of international golfers at universities and colleges across the USA," said World Golf Hall of Famer, Gary Player. "I am incredibly proud to congratulate Christo Lamprecht, a fellow South African and a talented collegiate golfer at Georgia Tech, on receiving the Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award. For many years now, I have been impressed by Christo's work ethic and how he carries himself under immense pressure. I believe Christo's successes will help ignite the passion in many amateur golfers to work hard, not only on the course but also in the classroom, as they strive to achieve greatness."

Considered one of golf's "Big Three" with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player has left an everlasting impact on the game of golf by being a worldwide ambassador, philanthropist, and golf course designer. One of only five golfers and the only one not from the United States to win the career grand slam, Player has continuously used his position to improve the lives of others in a positive way as a humanitarian and has focused strongly on education for the underprivileged. He is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, which celebrates sport's ability to create positive change in the world. Player's outstanding career has included 165 professional wins on six continents over seven decades and was acknowledged with being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, the PGA TOUR's Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Services to Golf in 2012, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020.

"My gratitude to the Golf Coaches Association of America for exemplifying what makes sport so special," Player continued. "As Nelson Mandela said, 'Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand."

"FlightScope is honored to partner with the GCAA and the legendary Gary Player as the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award," said Henri Johnson, who founded FlightScope in South Africa in 1989. "This collaboration aligns perfectly with our commitment to nurturing golf talent worldwide. We congratulate all the recipients of this prestigious award and look forward to seeing what they can achieve on a global stage."

Chan, a PING First-Team All-American and First-Team All-University Athletic Association (UAA) selection, carded two top three and four top-10 finishes this season, leading the Tartans to a UAA Championship and Visit Florence Intercollegiate victories. He is from London, England, as he was a finalist 2024 NCAA Division III Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award and tied for second on the team in scoring average with a 72.4 over 26 rounds played after he recorded 14 rounds of even par or better in 2023-24. Chan won both of his UAA Championship matches, finished second in the 125-person Golfweek October Classic, tied for third at the Visit Florence Intercollegiate and tied for 15th at the NCAA Division III Championship. He received his first Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar recognition and helped Carnegie Mellon to their 13th consecutive GCAA Outstanding Team Academic Award, making President's Special Recognition in 2023-24 for their 3.70 team grade point average.

The other recipients are Christo Lamprecht of Georgia Tech and South Africa, Leandro Mihaich of Oklahoma Christian University and Argentina, Isac Wallin of Keiser University and Sweden, and Gaspar Glaudas of Indian Hills Community College and France.