Dec. 3, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two high school standouts from the state of Georgia have signed National Letters of Intent to compete for the University of South Carolina men’s golf team beginning with the 2009-10 school year, head coach Bill McDonald announced today. Dean Hester of Dublin, Ga., and Dykes Harbin of Augusta, Ga., will join the Gamecocks next season.

“I am very excited about this 2009 class,” McDonald said. “Coach Michael Burcin continues to do an outstanding job of evaluating the type of student-athlete that our program needs. Both of these young men are highly motivated to step right in and contribute.”

Hester is a three-sport athlete at Trinity Christian School in Dublin, Ga., having competed in basketball and baseball in addition to golf. He was named to the all-region and all-state teams as early as eighth grade, then continued the tradition through his high school career. While at Trinity, he helped his team to three consecutive regional and state championships from 2005-07 and a runner-up finish in both events last season.

The son of a former University of Georgia golfer, Minton Hester, Dean won his first tournament at age 6. In 2004, he won nine tournaments on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour, including the tour championship and the overall points title. He won the American Junior Golf Association Nike Golf Junior title in 2006 and was named to the Nike All-Star Team that season. In AJGA tournaments, he has one top-five and two top-10 finishes, including a tie for third at the Golfweek Invitational in 2007.

“Dean has been ranked as high as No. 1 in the state of Georgia over the past year, but he has chosen to play high school basketball and I have supported him in doing so,” McDonald said. “I have no doubt he would be ranked higher nationally if his only focus was golf, but in this day of specialization, it is refreshing to recruit someone who enjoys the challenge of playing another sport at a high level. At 6-5, Dean has no problem generating a tremendous amount of club head speed. Dean is a fiery competitor and he has an outstanding short game.”

Harbin, a product of Westside High School in Augusta, Ga., has been the team MVP the last two seasons at Westside. He was named all-state as a freshmen when he attended Augusta Prep and was all-region medalist that year and also as a junior at Westside. He led Augusta Prep to a state championship his freshman year of 2006, and he has helped Westside to a pair of regional titles in two years thus far.