SPARTANBURG, S.C. (July 1, 2024) – ETSU men's golfer Mats Ege was named Southern Conference Male Athlete of the Year as the league office announced its top yearly honors on Monday.
 
Ege, a PING First Team All-American, becomes just the third Buccaneer men's athlete to receive the SoCon honor – joining B.J. Adigun (1998) and Keith "Mister" Jennings (1991) to earn the accolade.
 
"We are so proud of Mats to be named SoCon Male Athlete of the Year," said ETSU Athletic Director Dr. Richard Sander. "Mats is one of the all-time greats to wear the Blue & Gold, and this is such a well-deserved honor. He had one of the best seasons among collegiate golfers and is a true leader both on and off the course. Thank you, Mats, for everything you have done for our program, and we are so excited to see your continued success as a professional."
 
Ege is coming off one of the most decorated seasons in program history which saw him garner SoCon Player of the Year honors for a second straight season, become a finalist for the Haskins Award and named to the Ben Hogan Watch List. Ege, who became the sixth Buccaneer to earn first team All-American honors, tallied three wins on the season as he captured medalist honors at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate, Wake Forest Invitational and SoCon Championship. The Buccaneer leader played in all 13 tournaments for the Blue & Gold and produced a school-record scoring average of 69.25. Of the 40 total rounds played, Ege recorded 33 sub-par rounds and played the holes at 86-under-par. Ege registered nine top-10 finishes, while he also tied for 18th at the NCAA Championship. The Buccaneer leader totaled a 72-hole score of 2-over-par 290 at the NCAA Championship, marking the sixth-lowest 72-hole score in program history. In addition, he led the Bucs to a 12th-place showing at the NCAA Championship, resulting in ETSU's top finish since 2001.
 
"I'm honored to be receiving this award," said Ege, who just wrapped up playing a tournament in France on the Challenge Tour on Sunday. "I think it's a great example of what we've been working towards over my last few years. Every single member of the team has put in tons of hours pushing each other to be the best we could be. I owe a massive thank you to my teammates, coaches and everyone who's been part of making ETSU Golf such an amazing program. I'm truly grateful for everything that I've been able to accomplish with the team over my three years – especially this last year! I'm very excited to see this team continue to succeed in the future. I'll be staying around Johnson City as much as possible to use the great facilities and compete with the guys as I start my professional career. I think that says a lot about the ETSU golf program."
 
Ege finished the 2023-24 season ranked No. 11 in the PGA Tour University Rankings, while he helped guide the Bucs to a No. 8 national ranking during the year. Ege received two SoCon Golfer of the Month honors and picked up two SoCon Golfer of the Week and Student-Athlete of the Week awards. Ege was recognized for his accomplishments at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate where he fired a 10-under-par 62 in the opening round, which set a new course, tournament and school record. He went on to win the tournament at 16-under-par 200, which ranked as the second-lowest 54-hole total in program history.
 
For his career, Ege – who graduated this May with a degree in Management – tallied five wins and 19 top-10 finishes. In the classroom, Ege had a cumulative grade point average of 3.438, while he was a three-time SoCon Honor Roll member and earned a SoCon Commissioner's Medal in 2022-23 after generating a GPA of 3.83.
 
Ege, who helped with a kids clinic at a local elementary school and assisted with Bucky's Boo Bash over his time at ETSU, was also named Player of the Year by his peers and administration this past Spring.
 
The Athlete of the Year Awards are selected annually by the Southern Conference athletics directors and a media member representing each conference school. The award recognizes athletic achievement, academic performance and civic involvement. Prior to 1990-91, the award was selected solely by members of the Southern Conference Sports Media Association. Beginning in 1991-92, the men's award was named after the late Bob Waters, who was Western Carolina's head football coach from 1969-88.
 
Click here to view past winners of the SoCon Male Athlete of the Year.
 
For more information on Buccaneer men's golf, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's golf tab.