Nov. 14, 2002
ATLANTA – Roberto Castro of Alpharetta, Ga., and Kevin Larsen of Santa Barbara, Calif., have both signed National Letters of Intent with Georgia Tech, Yellow Jacket head golf coach Bruce Heppler announced on Thursday.
“We are extremely pleased to have both Roberto and Kevin sign with our program,” said Heppler. “Both of them have been very successful on the national level, with Kevin having already played in three U.S. Amateurs before his senior year of high school, and both having been on AJGA Canon Cup teams in the past. Academically, I don’t think we could have done any better than with these two players. They certainly fit what we are doing here at Georgia Tech both academically and athletically and they will also fit in well with our current team.”
The first member of the class is Castro, who is the reigning Georgia state high school champion and was as a third-team Polo AJGA All-American in 2001 and an honorable mention selection in both 2000 and 2002. He was also a member of both the 2001 and 2002 East Canon Cup Teams. In 2002, Castro earned the prestigious honor of being named as the player representative on the AJGA Board of Directors. In his junior career, he has two national tournament titles, including a win at the 2000 AJGA Henry-Griffitts Rome Junior Classic, winning in a one-hole playoff after a 54-hole score of 68-72-72-212. Castro also captured the 2001 AJGA Greater Greensboro Chrysler Junior title with a score of 72-69-71-212. He advanced to the third round of the 2002 U.S. Boys Junior Championship before losing to eventual medalist Charlie Beljan.
Larsen has also had a distinguished junior career, earning first-team AJGA All-America honors in 2002 and third-team recognition in 2001. He has competed in each of the last three U.S. Amateur Championships, along with the U.S. Boys Junior Championship this past summer. A two-time Canon Cup selection, Larson was a member of the West Team in both 2001 and 2002. He is currently the fifth-ranked U.S. junior player according to the latest Golfweek/Titleist Performance Index. In his career, Larsen holds a trio of AJGA individual titles, including the 2002 AJGA Arizona Junior Classic, which he won with a 36-hole score of 67-70-137. Larsen also won the 2001 AJGA Compaq Junior Classic at English Turn (70-66-72-208) and garnered his first victory at the 2000 AJGA Compaq Junior All-Star Classic at Maumee Bay (73-73-146).
“I think that with the size of our team, both Roberto and Kevin will have a chance make an immediate impact,” said Heppler. “Both should get an opportunity to contribute right away when they arrive at Georgia Tech next fall.”
