Nov. 21, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky men’s golf head coach Brian Craig announced the signing of three golfers to National Letters of Intent for the 2014 signing class on Thursday, as Cristian DiMarco (Longwood, Fla.), Tyler McDaniel (Manchester, Ky.) and Fred Allen Meyer (Nicholasville, Ky.) became the newest members of the Wildcat family.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself but it is hard to contain my excitement for Fred Allen, Tyler and Cristian signing with Kentucky,” Craig said. “This class has the chance to be the greatest class Kentucky men’s golf has ever seen. The record is there, the talent is there and most importantly, the desire to be great is there with all three of these fine young players. We will have a lot of work to do and it will not be easy, but I will not have to coach effort with these guys. They are dedicated to their craft and each has the trait that I love the most – moxie. I am looking forward to a memorable four years with these young men leading Kentucky to another SEC Championship and the pursuit of our first NCAA Championship.”
Cristian DiMarco
DiMarco comes from Longwood, Fla., and is a six-year letterwinner at Lake Mary Prep. This fall, DiMarco helped lead his high school team to a state championship, which was the school’s first state championship in any sport. He recorded a 63 in the Florida High School Regional Championship to win the event. He finished second out of 150 players at the FCWT National Championship. DiMarco was named the team MVP after his junior campaign, while also earning Brighthouse Athlete of the Week honors. Additionally, DiMarco played basketball and tennis during his freshman year in high school.
“Cristian has a fantastic record in junior golf with the ability to shoot very low scores like the 63 he recently shot in the Florida High School Regional Championship,” Craig said. “He is a very mature young man with outstanding character and steadfast determination. He also has excellent fundamentals and a short game that can compete with anybody. I firmly believe that Cristian’s best golf is ahead of him and that he is going to be a terrific college player at the highest level. I have known his family for many years and it will be a privilege for me to coach him during his time representing the Big Blue Nation. The future is bright for Cristian and he is going to be fabulous addition to our program.”
Tyler McDaniel
A native of Manchester, Ky., and Clay County High School, McDaniel will join his older brother Todd on the UK men’s golf team in 2014-15. McDaniel is a highly-decorated recruit that brings several accolades to Lexington. He was the 2013 National PGA Junior Champion with scores of 70-70-65-69 and the 2013 Kentucky State Amateur Champion (68-67-68), where he won by six shots to tie the tournament record. McDaniel was also the 2013 Kentucky Junior Amateur Champion for the third straight year. He posted four consecutive top five finishes at the Kentucky High School state tournament and is a three-time KGA-PGA Junior Player of the Year. The 2011 Mr. Golf of Kentucky registered a scoring average of 69.8 during his senior season. He recorded his low round of 65 on three different occasions. Additionally, McDaniel is a standout on the hardwood, where he was named First Team All-State and the 13th Region MVP. He helped lead the basketball team to a regional championship. In the classroom, McDaniel has earned Academic All-State honors each year of high school and carries a 4.0 GPA.
“Tyler is a 5-star player with a brilliant record on the national level,” Craig explained. “He is the reigning Junior PGA Champion where he birdied his last two holes to win by one shot. He has tremendous poise, lets his clubs do the talking and has the heart of a champion. He is a gifted athlete and one of the most naturally talented golfers that I have witnessed. Tyler’s swing is simple and produces one quality shot after another. His ball striking is at a level not seen very often in junior golf. He has jumped through quite a few hurdles to graduate early and enroll next fall. Tyler is ready for the next level and I can’t wait to coach him and help him achieve his goals. He is going to have a long and distinguished career as a member of the Wildcat golf family.”
Fred Allen Meyer
Meyer hails from Nicholasville, Ky., where he attends West Jessamine High School. Meyer has won two individual KHSAA State Championships and was named the John Owens Kentucky Amateur of the Year. He has also been named an AJGA Rolex All-American. During the fall, Meyer registered a 68.6 scoring average, while posting a low round of 64. Throughout his career, he played in seven KHSAA state tournaments and was named to the All-State Team all four years of high school. He registered six AJGA top five finishes.
“Fred Allen is a tremendous, proven player who will be a great addition to our team and an immediate impact player,” Craig said. “He is the reigning Kentucky Golf Association Player of the Year and just keeps getting better every year. I love his character and his desire to be great in this game. Fred Allen is what I call a game time player. He tends to play his best when it matters most as evidenced by him birdieing seven of the last 11 holes to win the Kentucky High School Golf Championship this fall for the second year in a row. He also has a game that is built for the challenging courses we play in college golf. He hits it high, hard and can roll his rock. I like that combination and can’t wait to help him have an outstanding career as a Kentucky Wildcat.”
For more information on the University of Kentucky men’s golf team please visit UKathletics.com and follow on twitter @UKmensgolf.
