Bratton signs decorated trio to bolster Cowboys

STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State’s men’s golf program enhanced its roster with a trio of highly-decorated prep standouts as Johnnie Clark, Gaven Lane and Preston Stout all signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Cowboys next season.

“This class is a great combination of talent, athleticism, experience and upside. We could not be more excited to have these three join our program. They will make an immediate impact and can be leaders for us for years to come,” OSU head coach Alan Bratton said.

Johnnie Clark · Mesa, Arizona · Arizona Connections Academy

“Johnnie is a very good ball hitter who won a couple times last year on the AJGA circuit, made it to the round of 16 at the U.S. Junior and earned a spot on the Junior Presidents Cup Team on his way to being named a second-team AJGA All-American,” Bratton said.

Clark posted rounds of 72 and 69 at the U.S. Junior Championship this past summer before advancing to the round of 16 during the match play portion of the event. He fired rounds of 68, 68 and 63 last April to win the PING Heather Farr Classic by six shots. Clark also owns a victory at the 2021 Billy Horschel Junior Championship.

A member of the United States Junior Presidents Cup Team this past fall, Clark currently carries a No. 24 ranking in the Golfweek Boys Junior Rankings. He was named a second-team AJGA All-American in 2022 as well.

Gaven Lane · Argyle, Texas · Argyle High School

“Gaven has been committed to us for a long time and it is great to finally have him on board,” Bratton said. “He has been one of the best players in Texas for years. Not only is he a state champion, he has won a lot of tournaments and has already played the U.S. Amateur twice.”

In 2022, Lane won the Texas 4A state title after finishing as the runner-up the previous year. In the process, he helped Argyle capture its second-straight team title as well. During the 2021 campaign, he registered a fifth-place showing at the AJGC Northwest Arkansas Junior after finishing as the runner-up at the Texas Junior Amateur and winning the Patrick Reed AJGA Junior Championship with scores of 64 and 69 in 2020.

In addition to wins at the KJ Choi Foundation Junior Championship and the Byron Nelson Junior Championship in 2019, Lane finished third at the Texas Junior Amateur as well. The 2018 season saw him finish eighth at the Texas Junior Amateur, third at the AJGA Kansas Junior and second at the Byron Nelson Junior Championship.

Lane competed at the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2018 and again in 2022. He is currently No. 13 in the Golfweek Boys Junior Rankings and was tabbed as an honorable mention AJGA All-American in 2020.

Preston Stout · Richardson, Texas · JJ Pearce High School

“Preston is a very good athlete who is coming off a really nice summer. He was runner-up at the state high school championship, a Junior Presidents Cup Team member and a first-team AJGA All-American,” Bratton said. “He is a leader and I love that Preston and Gaven already have a strong friendship from playing against each other in the Dallas area.”

Currently ranked No. 2 in the Golfweek Boys Junior Rankings, Stout was named a first-team AJGA All-American in 2022 after winning the C.T. Pan Junior Championship and the Byron Nelson Junior Championship. He also tallied a fourth-place finish at the Boy’s Junior PGA Championship and was a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. 

In 2021, he won the Byron Nelson Junior Championship and the AJGA Carolina Trace Junior in addition to top-five showings at the Texas Junior Amateur and Patrick Reed AJGA Junior Championship. On two occasions, Stout has been the runner-up at the Class 6A state tournament.