MCKINNEY, Tx. – Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht, the world’s top-ranked amateur player, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Byron Nelson Award, which is bestowed annually to the outstanding Division I, II, III, or NAIA scholar-athlete of the year. The recipient, a graduating senior, is recognized for their achievement in the classroom, on the course, and in their community.
The senior from George, South Africa becomes the fifth Georgia Tech player to win the Byron Nelson Award, joining Anders Albertson (2015), James White (2012), Roberto Castro (2007) and Troy Matteson (2003). Lamprecht’s honor was announced Wednesday at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Luncheon at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.
“It is truly an honor to be named this year’s recipient,” said Lamprecht. “To be named in the same sentence as Mr. Byron Nelson and so many others who have won this award is truly an honor. This award, which I view as the most prestigious, is one I really wanted to win because it means more than just hitting a golf ball.”
Lamprecht will graduate with honors Saturday with a bachelor’s degree in finance and one of the highest GPAs during head coach Bruce Heppler’s 29 years at Georgia Tech.
The two-time GCAA All-America Scholar from George, South Africa has volunteered in multiple Michael Isenhour Toy Drives with Georgia Tech Athletics, where over 2,000 toys and $8,000 donated on average assist with providing Christmas gifts for children in downtown Atlanta shelters. During the six weeks he was home in South Africa for spring break last year, Lamprecht assisted his mother with planning and preparing all spring activities, including academic, athletic, and social functions, for his high school. An already-decorated amateur and collegiate career has summited ever since.
“To me, this means more than the golf I put on the course,” added Lamprecht. “It’s so easy with the modern day of social media and everything else to just look at results, where people define you based on what your results are, so awards like these mean a lot to me personally. It’s more defining of the person that you are and the way you carry yourself. This is the highlight of my college career in terms of the awards and accolades that I’ve achieved. It is something that I will hold dear to my heart for the rest of my life.”
Lamprecht, along with assisting his department’s nutrition staff stock, prepare, and deliver snack bags for road trips across various programs as well as being the Yellow Jackets’ representative in the 2023 East Lake Cup Junior Clinic, has been the top-ranked men’s amateur golfer in the world since September of 2023. He won The Amateur Championship and was the low amateur at The Open last summer, competed in The Masters, was named a first-team All-American last season, and was a competitor in both the Arnold Palmer Cup (his second straight appearance) and World Team Amateur Championship, to name a few.
The 6-foot-8 senior won two collegiate events in the fall, the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational and the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational. He has since earned four more top-10 finishes, including a tie for third at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship last week, and is No. 6 in the most recent Scoreboard NCAA Golf rankings.
Tech head coach Bruce Heppler said, “I am certainly thrilled with Christo’s being selected as the 2024 Byron Nelson Award winner. Mr. Nelson was an incredible player who carried himself with grace and class throughout his life. It is truly an honor for Christo to be selected based on the requirements of the award. The special nature of this award is that the selection process begins the very first semester of one’s freshman year and carries on until the person graduates. It is truly a four-year decision to excel. Our motto is you are “The sum of all your Choices!” This award truly defines what our players try to live by.”
Lamprecht also is one of 10 semifinalists for the 2024 Ben Hogan Award, which annually awards the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA, or NJCAA college golfer on all collegiate, amateur, and professional events over the last 12 months, and is one of 15 on the watch list for the Fred Haskins Award, which goes to the nation’s top college player.
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