AUBURN, Ala. – Another elite recruiting class has officially signed for the Auburn men's golf team. Carson Bacha, J.M. Butler and Ryan Eshleman have signed a national letter of intent to attend Auburn University in 2020-21, head coach Nick Clinard announced Thursday.
"We are elated to sign a group of fine young men that will represent Auburn University and our men's golf program with high character and integrity," Clinard said. "They are a talented group and are extremely driven to be successful in the classroom and on the golf course. They have a high ceiling and we look forward to helping them be their best. This group is relentless in their work ethic and are perfect fits at Auburn. They will help our program continue its chase for a national championship."
Bacha, a native of York, Pa., is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania and the No. 51 golfer in the nation, according to Junior Golf Scoreboard. He is a three-time American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Champion and was a 2017 AJGA Junior All-Star Team selection while playing at Central York High School.
Bacha has been crowned twice in the state, once as the 2018 Pennsylvania State Junior Champion and once as the 2019 Pennsylvania High School Champion. He also participated on the highest level in the amateur circuit as he competed at the 2019 U.S. Amateur.
"Carson is a driven young man with excellent technique and has won at the junior level multiple times," Clinard stated. "He's a fantastic student in the classroom and an individual we have high expectations for during his collegiate career at Auburn University. He's a great athlete that will thrive in our system due to his passion and work ethic."
Butler hails from Louisville, Ky. and is ranked as the No. 19 player in the country by Junior Golf Scoreboard and No. 22 by the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. He is both the 2019 Kentucky High School Junior Golfer of the Year and Kentucky Boys Junior Golfer of the Year.
The 2018 Kentucky Mr. Golf won the state title a year ago and also claimed medalist honors at the Bubba Conlee Junior Invitational. Along with Bacha, Butler also participated in the 2019 U.S. Amateur.
"JM is a gifted young man that has proven himself on the national level," Clinard added. "He's driven, passionate and has an exceptional work ethic to be successful. He has continued to improve every year as a youngster and has a very bright future at Auburn."
Rounding out the class, Eshleman makes his way to The Plains from Birmingham, Ala. and Vestavia Hills High School. He is currently ranked as the No. 1 player from the state of Alabama and No. 33 nationally by the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.
Eshleman has been a consistent performer with seven AJGA top-10 finishes in his career and has also logged 13 wins on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour. The five-year letterman was recently the 2019 Charlie Hall champion. He also was the runner-up at the 2017 All-State Sugar Bowl event.
"Ryan comes from an excellent background in golf and has the qualities to be a special player," Clinard said. "He's won multiple times at the junior level and has an outstanding understanding of the game. He's a big addition to our roster and we are excited he's an Auburn Tiger."