Men's Golf Adds Three Newcomers
8/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Seton Hall men's golf head coach Clay White has announced the signing of three recruits as Kamaal Khatumal (Sierra Leone, West Africa), Derrick Kim (New City, N.Y.), and Marc Kunesch (Newton, N.J.) will attend the university and compete for the Pirates.
"I am very excited about the young men we are bringing in," White said. "Part of the vision for this program is establishing Seton Hall golf as a force in the metropolitan area. Bringing in local kids like Marc and Derrick who are quality golfers can certainly help the program gain more recognition and support and hopefully attract more young men like them. Kamaal will also help us down the road."
Academically strong in addition to his golfing prowess, Khatumal is a former teammate of current Pirate golfer Gary Dunne at the IMG Leadbetter Academy, and will red-shirt the 2011-12 year and be ready to contribute for the Pirates beginning in the fall of 2012.
"In Kamaal, we are fortunate to bring in a young man who is experienced, has a tremendous work ethic both on the course and in the classroom, and is someone who can develop into a strong leadership presence for our team," White said. "With the opportunity to take a year to work on his game, I could certainly see him contributing significantly in the future."
In recent years, Derrick Kim has been one of the most successful high school golfers in New York State. Kim recently capped a career that saw him earn All-State and All-Section honors three times, as well as All-County and All-League recognition in each of his four years as a varsity team member.
"Derrick has had some impressive finishes throughout his high school career, so out of our three newcomers, I can envision him having the most immediate impact for us next year," White said. "He has a lot of potential to be another in a long line of highly productive and competitive Seton Hall golfers."
Transfer student Marc Kunesch, a Newton, N.J. native, joins Seton Hall following two years at Villanova University. Kunesch will be eligible to play for the Pirates this upcoming season because he did not compete for the Wildcats. Kunesch is a former standout at Pope John XXIII Regional High School where he twice earned an SCIL First Team selection and earned NJSIAA/NJPGA First Team recognition. A Third Team All-State member as a junior, Kunesch was also the state winner of New Jersey's Wendy's High School Heisman, awarded for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community in 2008.
"I recruited Marc as a freshman and was excited to have a spot for him upon his decision to transfer from Villanova," White said. "After enduring an illness plagued freshman year, I see this as an excellent opportunity for Marc to showcase his talent and prove that he is ready to compete at this level.
The Pirates will tee-off for the first time in the 2011 fall season on Sunday, September 4 at the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate Tournament in Verona, N.Y.
