Men's Golf Signs Two During Early Period

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina men's golf program received signed national letters of intent from Carter Busse (Davidson, N.C.) and Tyler DeChellis (Clayton, N.C.) during the early signing period, Pirate head coach Andrew Sapp announced Wednesday. They will both enroll at ECU next fall as freshmen.

"This is a phenomenal incoming freshmen class," Sapp said. "We are so excited to add two players both ranked in the top 100 in the country who are also two of the best players in our home state. Carter and Tyler will come in next fall and immediately make our team better. Coach Ruyle and I are so thankful that these two wonderful players have trusted us and ECU to help them reach their academic and athletic goals. We welcome them to Pirate Nation!"

Busse, currently ranked sixth in the North Carolina Golf Association Junior Boy's rankings, earned all-conference honors as a freshman and sophomore before the global pandemic halted high school sports in the spring of 2020. As a sophomore he helped Lake Norman Charter win the 2019 North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 2A state title. This past July Busse captured medalist honors at the Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA) High Point Junior Championship and placed second at the 2020 Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) Creed Boys' Invitational in Camden, S.C. Busse finished tied for fifth at the 2020 North Carolina Junior Championships as well.

"Carter has had an incredible year on the golf course averaging below 72 in tournaments," Sapp said. "We are thrilled that he has decided to join us at ECU. It has been a strange year recruiting for coaches and players, and I am thankful that Carter and his family have trusted us and ECU to provide a great academic and athletic experience for him even though we have not been allowed to meet face to face yet. Carter has won individually and been on a state championship winning team so he will help make our team better right away. We can't wait for Carter to arrive in Greenville and look forward to seeing his growth over the next four years."

"I am both humbled and excited to have the opportunity to join the ECU golf program," Busse stated. "I am so eager to contribute to such a highly regarded collegiate program and play for a coach as impressive as Coach Sapp. It has been a wonderful experience being recruited by Coach Sapp and ECU."

DeChellis is the top ranked golfer in the North Carolina Golf Association Junior Boys' rankings. He has recorded five top-5 finishes during the calendar year which included a third place finish at the 2020 Carolinas/Georgia Junior Championship and the 2020 TYGA Coastal Plains Junior Championship. As a sophomore he placed third at the 2019 NCHSAA 3A state championship tournament. Over the last two and a half seasons, DeChillis has posted 11 top-6 finishes.

"I chose ECU because of the experienced coaching staff, the great atmosphere that surrounds Greenville, and the team camaraderie," DeChellis said.

"Tyler is one of the best players in North Carolina and we have been recruiting him for a very long time. We are excited that this day has arrived and can't wait to get him on campus. He is unbelievably consistent and is a top 10 machine in tournaments. That consistency is why he is ranked so highly in the country and is what you need to be a great college golfer. He has continued to improve each year and we plan to help him continue that improvement when he gets to Greenville. We are thrilled that Tyler has become a Pirate."

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