Norman, Okla. – Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht was honored once again Wednesday by being named a recipient of the Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award presented by FlightScope. The 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 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.”
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 29th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 72 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 19 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 33 appearances in the NCAA Championship and been the national runner-up four times. Connect with Georgia Tech Golf on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on Twitter (@GTGolf) and Instagram. For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
