November 30, 1999
Duke Butler IV, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., has signed a national letter-of-intent to play college golf at Texas A&M, Aggies coach Bob Ellis said Tuesday.
Butler, a former College Station resident, has had a successful career on the American Junior Golf Association Tour, posting five top 10 finishes and 14 top 25 finishes. He was named second-team All-America on the 1999 Future Collegians World Tour. Butler finished second at the 1999 North-South Junior Championship at famed Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, site of the 1999 U.S. Open a month earlier, and carded a five-under-par 67 in the final round.
Butler also was recruited by Florida, Vanderbilt and Baylor. He is the son of former A&M golfer Duke Butler, who led A&M to the 1969 Southwest Conference title and is now the vice president of tournament business affairs for the PGA TOUR.
"Duke is going to be a tremendous player," Ellis said. "He's a hard-working, very dedicated, goal-oriented person. We look forward to him coming in and giving us a big contribution."