Georgia Tech Golfer Christo Lamprecht Named Gary Player International Golfer of the Year

Lamprecht was named the top international collegiate golfer

Apr 12, 2024; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Christo Lamprecht reacts after missing a putt on No. 15 during the second round of the Masters Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network / Rob Schumacher, Rob Schumacher / USA TODAY NETWORK

Georgia Tech golfer Christo Lamprecht is one of the best young golfers in the award and today, he was honored with the Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award.

he award was established for the first time this year, and is being given to five outstanding college golfers from outside the United States by the Golf Coaches Association of America

The Gary Player Award is selected by GCAA International member coaches with representation from around the world. One winner each was selected for NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA. Leandro Mihaich of Oklahoma Christian University and Argentina, Justin Chan of Carnegie Mellon University and England, Isac Wallin of Keiser University and Sweden, and Gaspar Glaudas of Indian Hills Community College and France are the inaugural recipients in the other divisions.

Lamprecht, who hails from George, South Africa, completed a four-year career that rivals any of the top players in program history. The 6-foot-8 player was a finalist for all the national player of the year awards (Ben Hogan, Fred Haskins, Jack Nicklaus) and won the winner 2024 Byron Nelson Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top senior golfer based on four years of accomplishment on the golf course, academic performance and service to the community. He also was named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and earned first-team All-America honors.

He won the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational and was co-medalist at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational in 2023-24, and had six top-10 finishes overall, while setting program records for stroke average in a season (69.16) and a career (70.05). Lamprecht finished his college career No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was second in the PGA TOUR University rankings and fourth in the Scoreboard National Collegiate Golf Ranking System.

Lamprecht, who graduated in May, also received numerous academic honors, including GCAA All-America Scholar for the second time, Academic All-American by the Collegiate Sports Communicators, and ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for golf.

Lamprecht led the Yellow Jackets’ advance to the semifinals of match play at the NCAA Championship and a final national ranking of No. 17.

“Education and golf can be gateways to the world, and I am honored and proud that the Golf Coaches Association of America has named an award after me and one that will recognize the achievements of international golfers in the USA,” said World Golf Hall of Famer, Gary Player. “I hope this honor will help inspire international golfers, honing their skills in the United States, to strive for even more success on and off the golf course and that this award will be won by future international superstars.”

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.