May 6, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB men's golf head coach Alan Kaufman announced the addition of two future Blazer golfers on Tuesday. Austen Dailey (Westminister, Calif.) and Mark Hudgins (Boaz, Ala.) will both join the UAB golf program for the 2008-09 campaign.

"I am extremely excited to add these two outstanding golfers to our program for next season," Kaufman said. "Both will make an impact on this program and should compete for playing time next season."

Dailey, who plays under head coach Brendan Patch at Edison High School, comes to UAB after capturing medalist honors at the 2007 California State High School tournament. In the process, Dailey led his team to a state title, marking the first time his high school had won a state title in any sport. Dailey, who has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the state of California, captured the event by one shot.

Dailey qualified for the 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur Championships, where he made the cut, but lost in a playoff for the right to advance to match play. Dailey, who was tabbed First-Team All-County by the Orange County Register, has earned more than half a dozen individual titles throughout his high school career.

Hudgins is a native of Boaz, Ala. and played for Eric Whaley at Boaz HS. Like Dailey, Hudgins captured the individual 4A state championship, while also leading his team to the state title. He was tabbed to the 2007 All-Area team by the Gadsden Times.

This season alone, Hudgins has competed in five tournaments, capturing all-tournament accolades each event he has started. He has captured two individual titles this season (Cullman Invitational and Marshall County Tournament), while averaging a 72.7 per round stroke average. Hudgins will attend UAB on an academic scholarship.