CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois men's golf head coach Mike Small announced Monday (June 15) the addition of Nico Lang to the Fighting Illini program.
A native of Ingolstadt, Germany, Lang comes to Illinois after playing his freshman season at West Virginia in 2019-20. During his time with the Mountaineers Lang competed in six events, ranking second on the team with a stroke average of 71.81 over 16 rounds, including 10 rounds of par or better and four rounds in the 60s. Lang notched three top-20 tournament finishes, including season-best finish with a tie for 14th at the Health Plan Mountaineer Invitational.
"Nico will fit in perfectly with our team; he is a tough competitor and his attitude and desire to be great have really impressed us," said Small. "He has proven that he can compete at this level, and with his high skillset of strength, speed and touch, his future in competitive golf is very bright."
Prior to joining WVU, Lang boasted a résumé full of international competition, having claimed wins at the 2017 Bavarian U18 Championship, the 2016 German National Qualifier, the 2016 Austrian International Junior Championship and the 2016 German U18 National Qualifier. Additionally, he was the runner-up at the 2017 Bavarian 16-18 Junior Championship, the 2016 Czech International Junior Championship, the 2016 German U18 Nationals and the 2015 Florida International Junior Championship. Lang also took home a top-10 finish at the 2017 German International Amateur Championship (ninth place) and a top-20 finish at the 2018 Coca-Cola Berlin Open Championship (19th).
"I am beyond happy for the opportunity to represent the University of Illinois," said Lang. "The competitive spirit as well as the resources of this program are something special. Coach Small is one of the best and most experienced coaches in the country, and his drive to help his players to become the best player they can be is unmatched. I am proud to be a Fighting Illini!"
Lang joins fall signee Piercen Hunt, ranked 21st by the American Junior Golf Association, as the newest additions to the Illini's incoming recruiting class.
Stay tuned to FightingIllini.com for the latest on Fighting Illini men's golf, or follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
