University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Men's Golf Alumni Update
9/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - With the start of the 2016-17 Southern Miss men's golf season, the Golden Eagles have enjoyed a solid start with three top five finishes.
Just as the current Golden Eagles are performing well, so are several of the program's alumni.
Kyle Ramey, from Paducah, Ky., highlights the former Golden Eagle golfers as he rallied to win the 2016 Gulf States PGA E-Z-GO Section Championship played at the Baton Rouge (La.) Country Club earlier this week. With the victory, he earned an exemption into PGA Tour's 2017 Zurich Classic of New Orleans being held at TPC Louisiana.
Ramey currently holds the position of head golf professional at Windance Country Club in Gulfport, Miss. He was a member of 2008 C-USA runners-up squad.
This was the first tournament that Ramey competed in as a PGA Member.
"My goal was to win. I wanted to play well and have a good finish," said Ramey following the event. "This was a big bonus winning this one. Everything fell right into place.
"The 2017 exemption into the Zurich Classic of New Orleans is the coolest part of it. It has been a life-long goal coming to fruition. During the event I am going to take it all in. I am very grateful to have this opportunity to even have a chance to compete."
Another former Golden Eagle, Mike Soroka, recently earned a promotion with Callaway Golf to their PGA Tour Representative. Soroka, who won the 2002 Raisin' Cane Classic and was a two-time runner-up at the Sam Hall Intercollegiate with the program, played for the Golden Eagles from 2002-05 and earned Conference USA honors one season.
Three-time Mississippi Golf Association Mid Amateur champion Ben Snow (2000-03) recently was selected to play in the USGA Men's State Team Championship in Birmingham, Ala., earning one of three spots on the team to represent the state of Mississippi. Snow garnered C-USA all-league honors one season while with the Golden Eagles.
Another former Golden Eagle, Derek Plucienski, recently earned a new position with the Gulf States PGA Section. Plucienski, from Slidell, La., competed in the 2011 NCAA Regionals while at Southern Miss. He also holds the school record for low 18 holes and 36 holes. He played for the Golden Eagles from 2007-11, and earned All-Conference USA honors his senior campaign.
Casey Fernandez, who earned status on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica over the summer in a PGA qualifier at the TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Fla., was a three-time collegiate tournament champion and ranks second in school history in single-season scoring average (72.72). He played for the Golden Eagles from 2011-2015 and hails from McAlester, Okla. He was a C-USA all-league selection.
The other former Golden Eagle on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica is Paul Apyan, who hails from Chattanooga, Tenn. A former NCAA Regional performer, Apyan is in his third season on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. He current holds four Top 10 finishes through 10 events this year. Currently, Apyan ranks No. 14 on that tour's official money list. The top 5 players at year's end will be promoted to the Web.com Tour, which is the PGA Tour's developmental circuit.
The current crop of Golden Eagle men's golfers returns to action Oct. 10-11 at the Kenny Perry Invitational at Olde Stone Country Club in Bowling Green, Ky.
