GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Furman men's golf team was honored as a 2022-23 Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-Academic Team, as announced this week by the organization.

To be eligible for GCAA Outstanding Team Academic honors, a university must submit GPAs for each player on their official squad list for the academic year, and teams with a combined 3.0 GPA and above are deemed All-Academic Teams.  The Paladins posted a 3.41 GPA for the 2022-23 athletic season to join 265 other schools across six divisions who earned the distinction.

"The team being honored with this award is a testament to their hard work both in the classroom and on the course," said Furman associate head coach James Bartlett. "We had a great year on the golf course, and to follow it up with another successful year in the classroom is great to see.  We're really proud of all our guys!"

In addition to the Paladins' success in the classroom, the team flourished on the course.  In his fifth season at the head of the Furman program, Matt Davidson was voted the 2023 SoCon Coach of the Year after the Paladins concluded the season ranked 62nd by Golfstat and 58th by Golfweek.  Furman received an at-large regional bid for the first time since 2002 and made its fifth NCAA Regional appearance and first since 2010.  

At the NCAA Salem Regional, senior Sam Lape fired a final-round 64 to finish second, the highest regional finish in Furman men's golf history, and claim the region's individual bid to the championship.  After posting rounds of 65-72-64=201 to finish 15-under par at the event, he became the first Paladin to compete at the NCAA Championship since Kirk Satterfield finished fifth at the 2001 NCAA East Regional to advance to the finals. 

Also during the 2022-23 season, sophomore Will Morlan, a PING All-Region Team selection, became the first Paladin to win three individual titles in a season since Brad Faxon accomplished the feat in 1983.  An All-Southern Conference honoree, he led the Paladins and ranked second in the league with a 70.06 stroke average over 36 rounds, the lowest season stroke average in the history of the Furman program.  

In September, he tied for the individual championship at the Old Town Collegiate with a three-round score of 10-under after shooting a career-best 63 in the second round, then he tied for individual medalist honors at the Furman Intercollegiate at 9-under in October.  Morlan shot 18-under par to win the Hootie at Bulls Bay in March, setting both a Furman and tournament 54-hole record.  

Harris Barth was voted to the 2023 SoCon All-Freshman Team with a 72.4 stroke average over 21 spring rounds, while the Paladin team finished as runner-up at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate and took third place at the SoCon Championship and the Old Town Collegiate.