One start into their respective college careers, Tennessee’s Caleb Surratt and Virginia’s Ben James have confirmed that the hype around them is deserved.
First it was Surratt who began his freshman campaign for the Volunteers by shooting 64-63-65 to win the Maui Jim Intercollegiate by three strokes on Sept. 11 at The Mirabel Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. With an 18-under performance, Surratt needed only one start to set a Tennessee record for best 54-hole score in relation to par.
The victory didn’t come as a shock to those who have been following Surratt’s superb year. The Indian Trail, North Carolina, resident won the Elite Amateur Golf Series this summer on the strength of five top-10 finishes in those marquee events. He was also runner-up in the U.S. Junior Amateur in addition to winning the Terra Cotta Invitational and the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. He has bulldozed his way up to No. 18 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking after starting the year at No. 119.
Now Surratt is off to a sizzling start with Tennessee as he made 22 birdies to go with two bogeys and one double bogey. He was a full 16 shots clear of the next-best player on his team, although the Volunteers are ranked No. 11 in the country and are projected to be one of the nation’s top squads.
Just two days later, it was James’ turn for a historic performance. The Milford, Connecticut, resident, who came into college as the top-ranked junior in the country, shot 63-65-68 for a 20-under 196 total to win by four strokes at the Streamsong Invitational in Bowling Green, Florida.
The stats from his win were mind-boggling. James opened with a 28 on his first nine holes and didn’t record a bogey in the entire tournament. His 54-hole total set a program record at a school that has produced talented players such as Ben Kohles, Denny McCarthy and Steve Marino.
The 9-under 63 that James recorded was the second-best round in school history, and the 20-under total came just two strokes short of matching an NCAA record for lowest 54-hole score.
“He put up scores that we haven’t seen in a long time in our program,” said longtime Virginia head coach Bowen Sargent. “Opening the tournament with a 28 set the tone for him and the team. His maturity and work ethic bring so much to our team. We can all learn a lot from his preparation and play this week.”
As with Surratt, this is no surprise to see James make an instant impact. He won the Dustin Johnson World Junior and Team TaylorMade Invitational earlier this year, which led to the New Englander getting a sponsor’s exemption into the Travelers Championship in his home state. He shot 72-69 to miss the cut there, but James flashed glimpses of his extraordinary talent. He is now up to No. 41 in the WAGR.
Coincidentally, Surratt and James both signed NIL deals with Transcend Capital this summer. The firm stepped in to sign both players – each a former No. 1 junior in the country – to agreements when it heard Surratt and James were struggling to finance some of their travel to amateur tournaments. So far, the two fantastic first-year collegians are the only players in Transcend’s NIL stable.
Sean Fairholm