OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 25, 2019) – A standout junior player from Argentina and a standout from Washington state have signed to play college golf at Oklahoma Christian, OC coach David Lynn said Friday.

Joining the Eagles for the 2019-20 season will be Mateo Pulcini of Rio Cuarto, Argentina, and Chase Gardner of Snohomish, Wash.

Pulcini had several strong performances in 2018, taking first and second in a pair of national junior tournaments in his home country and finishing as the top junior in the Abierto del Centro Championship, one of Argentina's major regional open tournaments.  During the year, he also posted his lowest score ever in competition, a 5-under-par 67.

He helped his club, Rio Cuarto Golf Club, win Argentina's National Interclub Championship in October 2017.

"Mateo is a very talented golfer from Argentina," Lynn said. "He is a big, strong kid who hits the ball very long. He has a very similar resume to many of the top South American recruits we have had in the past. Mateo has many top finishes in national events and is currently the third-ranked junior in Argentina. I look forward to the experience he will bring our team fall of 2019."

Gardner attended the same junior high school in Washington as did Lynn, who originally was from Everett, Wash. In 2018, Gardner helped Glacier Peak High School win the Class 4A Wesco Conference title and finish 10th in the state 4A tournament. He placed 42nd individually at the state event.

"Chase is an outstanding golfer," Lynn said. "He is relatively new to the game with only a couple years of tournament-level experience. He has shown some great promise in local and regional events and I look forward to seeing how Chase can develop getting to play and practice year-round."  

Gardner and Pulcini will join Alex Motes of Sulphur Springs, Texas, and Midland (Texas) College and Said Powers of Edmond, an Oklahoma Christian School product, in OC's incoming class for the 2019-20 campaign.