Smith Signs NAIA No. 1 Pretorius
May 26, 2021 | Men's Golf
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's golf coach Dusty Smith is pleased to announce the signing of Ruan Pretorius, a graduate transfer from Point University and the No. 1 individual in the final 2021 Golfstat NAIA Rankings.
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Pretorius is following the footsteps of his former head coach turned Bulldog assistant, Steven Paine, in coming to Starkville.
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Pretorius finished tied for fifth at this year's NAIA National Championship and helped the Skyhawks to a fourth-place team finish. The Bloemfontein, South Africa, native finished the year with an adjusted scoring average of 71.53 and went 21-2 against top-25 opponents. His final comparative record in 2021 was 1,261-2.
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"We are thrilled to add Ruan to the Mississippi State family," Smith said. "He is going to bring a lot of experience to our program. He knows what it takes to be great, and he understands the sacrifices that need to be made on a daily basis to ultimately be a champion."
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In his senior season, Pretorius was named captain of the No. 1-ranked Skyhawks. He is a two-time PING First Team All-American and was selected as the Georgia PGA Amateur Player of the Year in 2020, topping the state's Amateur Points List with more than double the points of the second-place golfer.
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Pretorius has claimed four career individual victories along with 14 top-10 finishes. In October 2020, he won the Appalachian Athletic Conference Fall individual title.
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For more information on the Bulldog golf program, follow on Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook by searching "HailStateMG."
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Pretorius is following the footsteps of his former head coach turned Bulldog assistant, Steven Paine, in coming to Starkville.
Â
Pretorius finished tied for fifth at this year's NAIA National Championship and helped the Skyhawks to a fourth-place team finish. The Bloemfontein, South Africa, native finished the year with an adjusted scoring average of 71.53 and went 21-2 against top-25 opponents. His final comparative record in 2021 was 1,261-2.
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"We are thrilled to add Ruan to the Mississippi State family," Smith said. "He is going to bring a lot of experience to our program. He knows what it takes to be great, and he understands the sacrifices that need to be made on a daily basis to ultimately be a champion."
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In his senior season, Pretorius was named captain of the No. 1-ranked Skyhawks. He is a two-time PING First Team All-American and was selected as the Georgia PGA Amateur Player of the Year in 2020, topping the state's Amateur Points List with more than double the points of the second-place golfer.
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Pretorius has claimed four career individual victories along with 14 top-10 finishes. In October 2020, he won the Appalachian Athletic Conference Fall individual title.
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For more information on the Bulldog golf program, follow on Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook by searching "HailStateMG."
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