Austin Peay Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Robbie Wilson’s first Austin Peay State University recruiting class is one that will see three highly-ranked prep golfers join the Governors for the 2016-17 season.
The Governors have added Austin Lancaster, who is Tennessee’s eighth-rated Class of 2016 junior golfer; Alex Vegh, the 10th- ranked senior prep golfer in Ohio, and Michael Busse, the second-ranked Class of 2016 Michigan golfer.
Not only is Lancaster a Top 10 Tennessee Prep Recruit for 2016, he is ranked 140th nationally as well. The Hendersonville native’s game really emerged this summer. In fact, he captured the Tennessee Golf Association High School Invitational in a playoff as well as capturing the Commando Invitational.
He also won the All-American Junior Golf Tour (AAJGT) event at Westhaven Golf Club in Franklin last spring and was third out of 63 golfers at the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) at The Ledges in Huntsville, AL. He ended seventh in the Tennessee Junior Amateur in July. He also tied for third at the Future Tour Championships in Mississippi.
Lancaster played for Hendersonville High School, which also produced former Gov Trey Tarpley and Lancaster neighbor, in four state tournaments. As a sophomore, Lancaster won the Class AAA district tournament and captured the region tourney as both a junior and senior. He also took second at the Tennessean/Metro Parks Schoolsdays Golf tournament as junior.
“Austin is someone who had an awesome summer,” APSU coach Robbie Wilson said. “I think his improvement over the last few years is a testament to his work ethic. We are always happy to have players from Hendersonville High School as they have produced many good D1 players over the last few years. Austin is going to be a great teammate and his competitive nature will push everyone around him.”
Vegh has been a prep standout since he was a freshman. In fact, he started for Gahanna-Lincoln High School as a freshman and became the first freshman in 19 years to qualify for Ohio districts—he won his first prep tournament with a 73 that year. Literally, his career took off from there.
In his sophomore season he achieved six Top 5 finishes and four other Top 10 finishes. As a junior he attended the International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina, before returning to Gahanna.
As a senior this fall, he was medalist in the 19-team Watkins Memorial Invitational, shooting 2-under 70. He also was sectional co-medalist with a 3-under 69, tying the school’s 18-hole low round. His nine-hole 33 is a school record.
He earned first-team Ohio Capital Conference as a senior after being second-team as a freshman and sophomore.
Vegh comes from a competitive family. His mother, Maria, originally is from Sweden and was a Big 10 fencing champion at Ohio State in 1984
“I was very pleased to find out Alex chose to make Austin Peay his home,” Wilson said. “Alex has great athletic ability and is someone who continues to get better each year. His time away from home at a golf academy in South Carolina last year helped prepare him for college golf. When Alex enters our program, he will continue to develop his game and will be a very good player for us.”
Busse is a three-time All-State golfer at Rochester Hills High School. However, his play this past summer that elevated his profile. Since mid-June he has played in eight junior golf events with fields no less than 53 and he walked with no worse than a Top 25 finish in each, including five Top 10 finishes. His best finish was second of 72 golfers in the Randy Wise Open, played at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
Busse also had a sixth-place finish at United States Golf Association (USGA) Junior Boys Qualifier at Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Shooting 70-75. Later in the summer he fired a 67 in the final round of the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) in Forest Lake.
Busse comes from a golf family. Both his father and mother played Division I golf—Perry Busse played at Northern Iowa while his mother, Mary Jo, played at Iowa State. They also are golf pros in Michigan.
“Michael was a recruit that I identified early as someone that was the complete recruit,” Wilson said. “Michael has great leadership traits and will make his mark both on and off the course. I was very impressed when recruiting Michael this summer of his skill and well-rounded game. There are not too many glaring weaknesses and I can’t wait to see what he can accomplish wearing the red and white.”
