Neira is the Number 1 ranked amateur in Venezuela
TAMPA, Fl. APRIL 10, 2023 – As the Bulls prepare for the AAC Conference Tournament, Head Coach Steve Bradley welcomes a new standout player for the fall. Diego Neira, the top-ranked amateur in Venezuela, will join the Bulls as an incoming freshman.
“Signing Diego is a great get for our program,” Bradley said. “He’s got a very strong resume and I think he is only scratching the surface with his ability. Coach Caldwell and I are both very impressed with how he handles himself on the course. He carries himself with a lot of confidence and there isn’t a shot he can’t hit. I expect Diego to make an immediate impact on our program this fall. We got a lot better today!”
A Caracas, Venezuela native, Neira is ranked #486 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. In tournament play in the last 16 months, he has six wins and 17 top 10 finishes. He has represented Venezuela in the prestigious Cope Andes Championship and the Latin American Amateur Championship.
Neira was a member of the Venezuela 2022 National Team in the 2022 South American games. In 2021, he finished first in category Championship in the Open of Venezuela COPA AEROLÍNEAS ESTELAR. The Venezuelan Golf Federation recognized Neira for the golf performance of the year in 2019. Also in 2019, Neira was part of the team champion at the South American Pre-Junior Youth Championship La Paz. In 2018, he was Champion 1st Category at the 34th Venezuela Open, Copa Universal de Seguros at Caracas Country Club.
Neira joins James Hassell, an incoming freshman from Vero Beach, Brock Healy, a transfer from Kennesaw State in his final year of eligibility, and Wilhelm Ryding, a member of the Swedish National Team, in the 2023-24 class.
About USF Men’s Golf
The USF men’s golf program has captured 17 conference titles and has seen players earn 19 All-America honors. The Bulls have won five American Athletic Conference Tournament championships in wire-to-wire fashion, winning four-consecutive from 2015-18. The Bulls have had four individual conference champions, including Albin Bergstrom in 2021, and gone on to earn nine straight NCAA Regional appearances, including a 6th place finish in NCAA Championship match-play in 2015. USF is led by Steve Bradley, who has been named American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year five times since taking over the program in 2014. The Bulls have posted 20 tournament wins under Bradley entering the 2022-23 season, by far the most under any coach in program history.
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