JP van der Walt
JP van der Walt
Title: Assistant Coach, Seventh Year
Phone: 706-729-2511
Email: jvanderwalt@augusta.edu

JP van der Walt joined the Jaguars in August 2016 and enters his seventh season in 2021-22 as the top assistant coach for both Division I men’s and women’s golf programs at Augusta University.

From Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, van der Walt comes from a golf family with ties to the PGA Tour and has experience coaching in the NCAA. He aide’s men’s head golf coach Jack O’Keefe and women’s head golf coach Caroline Hegg with all aspects of their respective programs.

The Augusta men’s team has won five conference championships and four during van der Walt’s tenure. Both squads in 2018-19 returned to the NCAA Regional, while the women’s team earned a No. 45 national ranking.

With three freshmen, a sophomore, and one senior, the 2017-18 men's squad reached the NCAA National Championship at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla. Lone veteran Broc Everett became the first Jaguar to win a NCAA Individual National Championship – taking the title in a playoff hole. To qualify for the NCAA finals, Augusta shot its lowest score in a regional with a round-three 270 at the 2018 NCAA Raleigh Regional.

Van der Walt helped guide both the men’s and women’s teams to the NCAA Regional Tournaments in his first season in 2016-17, while each squad earned a top 50 national ranking.

 

He joined the Jaguars after spending two seasons as a graduate assistant coach for the Columbus State University men's golf program in Columbus, Ga. He returned to CSU as a coach after finishing up his playing career as a CSU Cougar in 2009. van der Walt is fresh off a 2015-16 Peach Belt Conference Championship where he helped coach the Cougars to the title. That same season, CSU received the PBC Sportsmanship Award.

During his time in Columbus van der Walt took home the individual title at the Rollins Invitational in 2008 and was a member of the 2009 CSU team that finished in third place at the National Championship. He was also selected to the All-Peach Belt Conference team in 2008.

Van der Walt graduated from Columbus State in May of 2016 with his master's of science in organizational leadership. In May of 2009, he received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from CSU.

From South Africa, van der Walt turned pro and competed from 2009-2013 and was a member of the Sunshine Tour from 2011-2013. He was also a caddy for the European Tour and LPGA Tour and his brother Tjaart van der Walt had full time status on the PGA Tour and currently competes on the European Tour.