Three members of the 2010 Horizon League Champion Detroit Titans men's golf team – David Byrne (Essex, ON/Essex), Jeff Clarridge (Barrie, ON/Bear Creek) and Britt Pronk (London, ON/St. Thomas Aquinas) – have been named to the Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars Team for 2010. The announcement was made this weekend by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
For Byrne, the 2010 Horizon League Player of the Year and a four-time All-League golfer, it's his second straight appearance on the All-America Scholar Team, while it's the first for his teammates.
A total of 119 players across the nation in Division I earned the honor and the Titan trio represents the only Horizon League golfers honored in this way by the GCAA. To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar status, an individual must be a junior or senior academically, compete in at least two full years at the collegiate level, participate in 70 percent of his team's competitive rounds or compete in the NCAA Championships and have a stroke average under 76.0 in Division I. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.
Byrne finished the season with a 73.4 stroke average and Top 10 finishes in five tournaments this year. He won the 2010 President's Award as UDM's most-outstanding senior student-athlete and served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and captain of the men's golf team. He graduated with a 3.56 GPA as a History major.
Clarridge and Pronk tied for third place at the 2010 Horizon League Championship to make the All-Tournament Team. It was the second straight All-Tournament berth for Pronk and he was voted All-League as well. He averaged 73.9 strokes on the season and carries a 3.71 GPA as a Business Administration major. Clarridge averaged 74.9 strokes as a junior, and also majors in Business Administration, maintaining a 3.81 GPA.
"It's great for our three players to receive this special honor from my fellow golf coaches," Titans coach Mark Engel said. "I feel like this is one the most difficult honors to achieve from any of the college coaches associations considering the fact that there are strict grade-point and playing performance requirements just to be nominated, and then the players have to be voted on by the committee. I'm very proud of Dave, Jeff and Britt.”
-Detroit Titans-