Harper Career Stats
Career Highlights: Three-time SoCon Player of the Year selection… Named to the 2021 Division I PING East All-Region Team, becoming Furman's first all-region selection in program history... Competed in two NCAA Men's Golf Regionals… Tied for 14th place at the 2021 NCAA Tallahassee Regional… Finished the 2020-21 season with a conference-best 70.7 stroke average, which ranks second-best for a season in program history behind Furman Hall of Famer Brad Faxon's 70.58 in 1982-83… Owns three of the top-5 season stroke averages in school history… One of only two players in SoCon history to be named Player of the Year three times, joining Chattanooga's Stephan Jaegar (2010-12)… His 72.0 career stroke average is second-best all-time for the Paladins behind only Faxon, who compiled a 71.78 from 1980-83… A three-time All-SoCon selection… Concluded his Paladin career as one of only two players in program history, along with Faxon, to compete as an individual in multiple NCAA Regionals… Recorded four career victories which ties for second-most in program history with Ken Ezell (1974-77) and Todd White (1987-90)... Honored as a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar…Named to the SoCon Academic Honor Roll.
2019-20: Led the Paladins and ranked fourth in the Southern Conference with a 71.9 stroke average over 21 rounds, the fourth-best season stroke average in the history of the Furman men’s golf program… Led Furman in four of seven events during the shortened season… Finished among the top five at two events and the top 10 at three tournaments… Claimed four top-20 finishes… Fired a season-best 65 in the final round of the Wolfpack Intercollegiate, where he tied for fifth at 7-under… Tied for third, a season best, at the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate after scoring under par in rounds one and two… Finished in a tie for tenth at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate.
2018-19: Chosen Southern Conference Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season after leading the league with a 71.34 stroke average over 35 rounds, the third-best season stroke average in Paladin history… Qualified as an individual for the NCAA Athens Regional, where he tied for 25th… Became the first Furman men’s golfer to compete at an NCAA regional since 2010… Earned an All-Southern Conference nod for the second-consecutive season… Played in 12 events, and was the Paladins’ top finisher in eight team events… Recorded four top-five finishes and finished among the top 10 at six tournaments… Fired a career-best 63, the second-best round in Furman men’s golf history, in the second round of the Furman Intercollegiate… Won individual medalist honors at the River Run Collegiate and the Furman Intercollegiate… His win at the River Run Collegiate marked the Paladins’ first individual win since 2014… Shot under par in 21 rounds… Tied for third at the Camden Collegiate Invitational and finished in a tie for fourth at the Firestone Invitational… Tied for sixth at the Southern Conference Championships… Named to the SoCon Academic Honor Roll.
2017-18: Voted the 2018 Southern Conference Player of the Year after leading the league with a 72.24 stroke average over 33 rounds, tying current Furman head coach Matt Davidson for the fourth-best season stroke average in Paladin history… Played in all 11 events for the Paladins… Was Furman’s top finisher in nine events… Finished among the top five at three tournaments and in the top 10 at five events… Scored six top-20 finishes… Fired a career-best 67 in both the first and second rounds of the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate, where he finished in a tie for tenth… Tied for fourth, a career best, at the Southern Conference Championships… Finished in a tie for fifth at both the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate (70-71-72=213) and the Clemson Invitational (73-71-73=217) … Scored under par at both the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate (-3) and the Furman Intercollegiate (-2)… Named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and the SoCon Academic All-Conference Team.
2016-17: Joined the team for the spring season… Recorded a 75.5 stroke average over 15 rounds, tying for third on the Paladin team… Carded a season-best 72 in the second round of the Clemson Invitational…. Led the Paladins with a 77-72-74=223 to tie for 22nd at the Clemson Invitational… Finished in a tie for 21st at the Southern Conference Championships, his best finish of the season… Named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
High School/Junior Golf: Helped Westminster to the 3A state championship as a sophomore and senior... Captured individual medalist honors at the 3A state championship his senior year and was the state individual runner-up his sophomore year... A three-time All-State selection... Honored as the Georgia High School Player of the Year in 2014 and 2016... Won the Southeast Junior Golf Magnolia Grove Junior Classic and the Southeastern Junior Golf Chattahoochee Junior Classic in 2016... Chosen team captain and competed as the quarterback on the Westminster state championship football team as a senior... James Keller Harper, IV was born on July 11, 1997, in Atlanta, Ga.... Son of Kel and Beth Harper... Grandfather, Jimmy Harper, played quarterback for the University of Georgia, served as a Southeastern Conference football official for many years, and is a member of the Georgia Athletic Hall of Fame... Great-grandfather, James K. "Doc" Harper, played football and baseball at Georgia, served as head football coach at Thomasville (Ga.) High School (1923-39), and was inducted into Georgia's Athletic Hall of Fame (1974)... Great-great-grandfather, H.B. Harper, a county doctor, delivered Ty Cobb as a baby... Plans to study business.
