Covich Adds Four to Men’s Golf Squad

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University men’s golf coach Sean Covich has added a quartet of players to his squad, as Max Sear, Cole Hand, Tristan Nicholls and Chris Williams committed to play for the Mountaineers on Wednesday.

“Today is an exciting day for our new program,” said Covich. “This group, along with our current roster, make up the foundation for our future. I’m incredibly honored that these guys chose WVU considering, we are starting from scratch, but I think that’s what attracted them to come play here- a chance to make history. Again, I couldn’t be happier with this group and am looking forward to our first official season in 2015-16.”

Max Sear

A native of Unionville, Ontario, Canada, Sear is the top-ranked golfer in Ontario in the class of 2015 in addition to being ranked second in the Canadian class of 2015 and four overall in Canada. Sear currently ranks No. 199 in the world for the class of 2015 and is a member of the Ontario Provincial team. A two-time high school Provincial champion, he finished the 2014 season with a 72.36 average. Sear claimed three titles in 2014, winning the All-Ontario Secondary School Championships (72-65), the Team Ontario Cup (71-73-71) and U.S. Amateur Junior Qualifier (68-73) while posting top-five showings at the Ontario Junior Boy’s Match Play Championship (3^rd place) and the Williamson Cup (3^rd place). Sear also qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur, Canadian Men’s Amateur and Canadian Junior Boys’ Championship. In 2013 Sear claimed a trio of wins, finishing first at the Ontario Junior Championship Qualifier, AJGA Greenhills Qualifier and All-Ontario Secondary School Championship while taking the runner-up spot at the Ontario Junior Boys’ Match Play Championship. Currently in his final year at the Bill Crothers Secondary School, he is the son of Doug and Kris Sear. His sister, Kelsey, is currently a sophomore on the Ball State women’s golf team.

Cole Hand

Hailing from nearby Wheeling, West Virginia, Hand is the captain of the Wheeling Park High School golf team and has led the Patriots to West Virginia Class AAA State Championships in 2011, 2013 and 2014. He also helped the squad to Ohio Valley Athletic Conference 5A Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2014. The 2014 West Virginia Junior State Champion, Hand was a two-time West Virginia Class AAA State medalist and was the runner-up at the 2011 and 2014 state championships. He is a two-time Ohio Valley Athletic Conference runner-up (2011 and 2014) and medaled at the event in 2012 as well. Hand, who boasts a total of 18 victories on the Callaway Junior Tour since 2009, has qualified for the West Virginia State Open and Amateur Tournaments. He has participated in a number of USGA Qualifiers including the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Pub-Links and finished third at the 2013 U.S. Open Qualifier. Hand has represented the North team in the West Virginia North/South matches from 2011 to 2014 and was selected to represent the state at the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Cup. The son of Scott and Corrie Hand and brother of Scott and Seth, Hand is a member of the National Honor Society and won the Stifel Academic Award.

Tristan Nicholls

Born in South Africa, Nicholls joins the Mountaineers via Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, where he has ranked as high as No. 3 in the Queensland Junior Rankings (2012). He has been a member of the Southport School golf team since 2010 and has served as its captain the past two seasons. Nicholls was a member of the South Coast Schools U19 team in 2013 and 2014 and was previously a member of the Queensland Junior State team in 2012 and 2013. He was the winner of both the 2013 Fayde Points Challenge (70) as well as the 2014 Intercollegiate Challenge (69-70) while placing third at the 2014 Dave Mullen Cup (72) and fourth at the Future Champions Golf World Championships at PGA West (76-75-70). Nicholls finished in the top-20 of the 2014 Australian Boys’ Amateur Championship, taking 17^th after shooting 74-73-73-75. He boasts a number of top-10 finishes, including the Gary Player Classic (fourth), Wayne Brady Cup (sixth) and the Burleigh Cup (ninth) and finished in the top-25 of the Greg Norman Junior Masters. Nicholls averaged a score of 74.8 throughout the 2013-14 season. Nicholls is the son of Gavin and Sharon Nicholls.

Chris Williams

Williams will transfer to West Virginia after playing two seasons at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. As a freshman, the Scott Depot, West Virginia, native played in eight events for the Chanticleers, including each of the team’s first five events. He opened his college career by shooting two-under (70) in his first-ever round. While prepping at Winfield High School, Williams is a two-time West Virginia Class AAA All-State honoree who was named the 2012 West Virginia Golf Association Junior of the Year. He twice qualified as an individual for the state tournament and won the 2012 American Junior Golf Association Webb Simpson Junior Championship in North Carolina, shooting a 54-hole total. Williams took top honors in five tournaments on the WVGA’s Top Flite Junior Tour, including at the Resort at Glade Springs, Lewisburg Elks Guyan Country Club, Sugarwood Golf Club and the Pines Country Club. He also won events on the Kentucky Junior Golf Tour, Optimist Qualifier and Optimist Second Round Qualifier and was the low junior at the 2012 West Virginia Open and 2012 West Virginia Amateur, an event in which he was the runner-up. In the summer of 2011, Williams won events on the Top Flite Junior Tour and Tar Heel Tour while qualifying for the West Virginia Open and West Virginia Amateur. A member of the National Honor Society, Williams played tennis and football at Winfield and took academic all-state honors in baseball.

Re-established in 2014, the WVU men’s golf team will resume competition in the fall of 2015.

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Covich Adds Four to Men’s Golf Squad

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