November 14, 2005
Ignacio Elvira or Santander, Spain, John Hurley of O'Neill, Neb., and Andrea Pavan of Rome, Italy, have signed national letters-of-intent to play college golf at Texas A&M, coach J.T. Higgins said Monday.
"This is a great group we are bringing in with two national champions and a two-time state champion," Higgins said. "Not only are they outstanding golfers, but they are good students from good families with strong values and will fit in well with the team we have coming back next year. All three have the ability to make an immediate impact on our team and each will challenge for a spot in the starting lineup."
Elvira is a three-time Spanish national champion and advanced to the fourth round of the 2005 British Boys Championship. A member of the Spanish National Team, Elvira represented Spain at the World Junior Team Championships and European Junior Team Championships.
"Ignacio is one of the most fundamentally sound players I have seen in a long time," Higgins said. "He is very strong with an excellent golf swing and he also possesses a marvelous short game. He has great experience representing his country and playing team golf which will be a great benefit to him in college golf."
Hurley is a two-time Nebraska state high school champion and qualified for the 2005 U.S. Amateur. He is the only player in history to earn Nebraska Golf Association Player of the Year and Junior Golfer of the Year in the season season. He also qualified for the 2003 U.S. Junior Championship and won the 2004 PGA Junior Series.
"John is an outstanding player with the ability to fire some very low scores," Higgins said. "He hits the ball as far as any junior golfer in recent memory which gives him some great birdie opportunities. He has dominated at the state and local levels and I believe his abilities will translate well into the college game."
Pavan is the top-ranked junior golfer in Italy and won the 2005 Italian Amateur Stroke Play and Italian Junior Match Play. He also was medalist at the 2005 Italian National Junior, winning by six strokes with a 10-under-par 67-67=134. Pavan has been a member of the Italian National Team since 2002 and represented Italy at the 2005 European Junior Team Championship and the 2005 Spirit International in Trinity, Texas.
"Andrea is the best junior golfer in all of Italy and is definitely one of the best players in Europe," Higgins said. "He is only 16 but he is already very accomplished in international competition. His game is polished, he knows how to score and the scary thing is he can still get a lot better. There is no limit to what he can accomplish in college golf."
TEXAS A&M MEN'S GOLF SIGNEES (3)
| Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown (Current School) |
| Ignacio Elvira | 6-1 | 180 | Fr. | Santander, Spain (Blume Center) |
| John Hurley | 6-4 | 200 | Fr. | O'Neill, Neb. (St. Mary's) |
| Andrea Pavan | 6-0 | 165 | Fr. | Rome, Italy (Institute Saint Dominique) |