Nov. 13, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Will Miles (Hilton Head Island, S.C.), Ryan Stachler (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Scott Stevens (Chattanooga, Tenn.) have signed National Letters of Intent to play golf for the South Carolina men’s golf program, head coach Bill McDonald announced Thursday.

The trio joins a Gamecock program that has been on one of the most successful runs in school history. Carolina has finished in the top five in 12 of its last 15 events, including five wins. The Gamecocks finished ninth at last year’s NCAA Championship, the second best finish in school history.

“This is a very talented class and great group of young men,” McDonald said. “(Assistant) coach (Alex) Hamilton did an outstanding job of scouring the Southeast for the 2015 class, which is evident by the fact that we will sign players from Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina respectively. I see these guys steadily improving over the next few years and being great Gamecocks. From a talent perspective, I have always been impressed by each individual player from day one, but I have become more impressed by who they are as people as I have gotten to know them and their families better. Based upon how they interact with each other, I see all three being good teammates and hard workers. I think they all have the talent to contribute early, and coach Hamilton and I look forward to having them be a part of our program.”

Class of 2015 South Carolina Men’s Golf Signees
Will Miles – Heritage Academy – Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Parents: Bill and Debbie Miles
Accomplishments:
• Ranked as high as the No. 7 junior golfer in South Carolina
• Claimed first at the 2014 International Junior Golf Tour Georgia Junior
• Captured first at the 2014 IMG Junior at Savannah Harbor
• Finished second at the 2014 Jimmy Self Invitational
• Placed seventh at the 2014 South Carolina Amateur Championship
• Qualified for 2014 U.S. Open Sectionals
• Member of the 2014 Carolinas Amateur team that played against Virginia/West Virginia
• Tied for seventh at the Hank Haney IJGA Junior Open at Chechessee Creek Club
• Claimed second at the 2013 SCJGA Beth Daniel Junior Azalea
• Member of the National Honor Society and Distinguished Honor Roll

McDonald on Miles: “Will caught our eye at the 2013 Junior Azalea. He handles himself extremely well in pressure situations, and his golf swing just keeps improving. Will has had a pretty good growth spurt over the past year and he is starting to settle into things now. He has a tremendous work ethic and a great ability to handle adversity from round to round.”

Ryan Stachler – Cambridge High School – Alpharetta, Ga.
Parents: Bill and Amy Stachler
Accomplishments:
• Two-time All-State selection
• Played at Milton High School before finishing career at Cambridge High School
• Led Milton to the 2012 Class AAAAA GHSA state title
• Earned medalist honors at three high school tournaments
• 2013 Joe Cheves Junior Invitational Champion
• Finished runner-up at the 2013 Georgia State Junior
• Placed 10th at the 2013 AJGA Davis Love III Championship
• Tied for eighth at the 2013 AJGA Burgett H. Mooney Jr. Rome Classic
• Honor Roll student, AP Scholar with Distinction, Academic All-American from American Junior Golf Association

McDonald on Stachler: “I first saw Ryan play at the 2013 Georgia State Junior. He handled himself very well that week under intense pressure, and he really impressed us with his win at The Joe Cheves later that summer. Ryan was our first commit of the class, and his belief in us helped set the stage for a very good class. Ryan has very few weaknesses in his game, and I see him only improving as he matures and gets around top-notch competition each and every day. Ryan is also an outstanding student.”

Scott Stevens – Chattanooga Christian – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Parents: David and Tricia Stevens
Accomplishments:
• Three-time first-team Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps selection
• Finished tied for third at the 2012 and 2013 TSSAA Class A-AA State Championship
• Served as team captain as a junior and senior
• 2013 Tennessee Junior Amateur Player of the Year
• Ranked No. 54 overall nationally by Junior Golf Scoreboard
• Ranked No. 35 in the Class of 2015 by Junior Golf Scoreboard
• Ranked No. 2 overall in Tennessee by Junior Golf Scoreboard
• Ranked No. 1 in Tennessee in the Class of 2015 by Junior Golf Scoreboard
• Ranked as high as No. 51 in the Polo Golf Rankings
• Has recorded two top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes in AJGA events
• Honor Student

McDonald on Stevens: “I first saw Scott play at the 2013 Southern Junior in Richmond, Va. He caught my eye as a very good putter right away, and he played fearlessly. He will continue to improve steadily as his body matures. Scott is a very intense competitor, and his quiet demeanor reminds me of current Gamecock Caleb Sturgeon at the same age.”