Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina head men's golf coach
Tim Eckberg this week announced the addition of two transfers joining his squad's roster for the 2026-27 season. North Carolina products, senior
Andrew Perry of Fuquay Varina and redshirt sophomore
Connor Warren of Spruce Pine
Perry and Warren join incoming freshman
Brewer Lael (Newton, N.C.), who signed with the Catamounts back in December 2025, before guiding Fred T. Foard High to a conference championship and a runner-up finish at the North Carolina 4A West Regionals with a co-medalist performance as a senior.
Eckberg and the Catamounts return eight golfers from last year's squad, including the defending Southern Conference Men's Golfer of the Year, redshirt junior
Tyler Jones. He is flanked by four seniors, including
Michael Bevins,
Jace Butcher,
Andrew Korytoski, and
Dalton Payne. WCU also returns second-year strikers
Charlie Coe,
Hayden Magnussen, and
Connor Williams.
Jones and Butcher both finished inside the top 10 in seasonal scoring average in the Southern Conference last year, Jones pacing the league and Butcher tipping the scales in 10th. Korytoski, Bevins, and Payne each finished inside the SoCon's top 50 in scoring from the 2025-26 season. Three Catamounts earned SoCon Golfer of the Week plaudits last season, Jones earned a program single-season record four, joined by Butcher and Korytoski as honorees.
Andrew Perry
Senior – Fuquay Varina, N.C. (Guilford College / Coker Univ. / Fuquay Varina HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Three-time transfer who started at Coker University before spending two seasons at Guilford, where he was a second-team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) selection.
At Guilford College: Played in 18 events over two seasons, recording a scoring average of 74.82 over 51 rounds … Played in eight events in 2024-25, ranking 17th in the ODAC with a scoring average of 74.70 … Named to the 2024-25 ODAC All-Academic team and was a GCAA/Cobalt All-America Scholar … In 2025-26, competed in 10 events, averaging a team-best 74.93, with nine rounds of even-par or better … Posted a career-low round of 67 twice.
At Coker University: Played one season at Coker … Selected to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2024.
Personal: Is the son of Amy and Robbie Perry.
Connor Warren
R-Sophomore – Spruce Pine, N.C. (Charlotte / Mitchell HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU during the summer after spending two seasons at Charlotte, seeing action in two events as a freshman in 2024-25 and did not compete in 2025-26 … Over six rounds as a freshman, posted a stroke average of 75.67, posting his best career finish at the Linger Longer Invitational in a tie for 66th overall (+11, 227) … Won the 2025 North Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship;
High School: Became the third boy's golfer in North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) history to win three individual state championships, guiding Mitchell High to back-to-back team state 1-A titles … Won the 2023 North Carolina State Championship by 14 strokes, the second lowest score ever behind Catamount legend JT Poston … Qualified for match play in the 2024 US Junior Amateur Championship.
Western Carolina's complete 2026-27 schedule will be released in the coming days, with the squad scheduled for 11 events spread between the fall and spring semesters. The Catamounts will again host the JT Poston Invitational at the Waynesville Inn and Golf Club in mid-September 2026, as well as The Peoples Championship at Sea Palms Resort, in St. Simon's Island, Ga., in late February 2027.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's golf and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountMGolf).
