Coach John Maupin has reached out to Franklin, Tenn., and Le Mans, France, to sign his latest freshmen golf recruits. Taylor Davis played his high school golf at Brentwood Academy while Florian Loutre was completing his prep work in France.

“Taylor has been committed to us for a while,” said Maupin. “We were really glad to sign him. He is a great all-around fit for Lee and will be an asset in the classroom and on the course. His commitment and passion for the game is evident. He also has a lot of natural ability. We are looking forward to working with him and watching him take off from there. Taylor had some great finishes in high school-level events (AJGA, TSSAA State Tournament) so again, we know he can do it when it counts. I think Taylor has a chance to have a great career here.”

The new signee was quick to point out why he selected the Cleveland-based university. “Lee has given me a great opportunity to receive a quality education while still being able to compete collegiately in the sport I love. I’m greatly looking forward to my Lee experience both on and off the course, as well as this new chapter of my social and spiritual life.”

A member of the headmaster’s list at Brentwood Academy, David placed in the top five of Franklin’s AJGA event. He was second in the 2009 TSSAA State Tournament and was named First Team All-State during the same season. He’ll major in business and finance at Lee.

Loutre called Lee a beautiful university. “I wanted to play golf here (in America) because it has the best players and the best golf courses in the world. I wanted to learn here because it is the best place for me to improve my golf game.”

“We didn’t pick Florian up until late in the spring,” noted Maupin. “He was headed to another school, but a few things happened and we are very happy he is joining us at Lee. Florian had offers from some of the top schools in the country, including UT-Knoxville, the University of Memphis and the University of Kentucky. He has one of the strongest playing resumes of anyone we have ever signed. He made the match play rounds of the British Amateur and was the runner-up in the European Boys Championship. Florian competed for the French National Team and won several amateur events. We are eager to help him adjust to college life, but once he does, I expect Florian to make a major impact during his first year here.”

Nova Scotia, Canada’s Bernadette Little has traveled south and she officially signed scholarship papers with the Lee women’s golf team on Monday afternoon. Coach John Maupin said he expects Little “to come in and contribute immediately.”

Little has played in the last two Canadian Nationals, finishing 52nd in 2011 and moving up to the 40th position this summer. She captured the Nova Scotia Provincial Championships in 2011 and 2012 and owns the Canadian Junior Atlantics title. She turned down offers from South Carolina Beaufort and Arkansas Tech to join a Lee program that ranks among the best in NAIA competition. “Coach Maupin was really approachable from the beginning,” said Little. “When we came for the visit everyone was very nice, and the campus is beautiful.”

Said Maupin, “Bernadette is a great pickup for our program. The things that stick out to me about Bernadette are her athleticism and competitive drive. She is a multisport athlete that will now be solely focused on golf. Because of that I think she has a tremendous upside. As you can see, Bernadette enjoyed a very strong summer of golf.”

Lee will begin its fall season in the Bill Sargent Invitational, hosted by the University of the Cumberlands, on Sept. 6.