Mercer Island High School senior Ethan Evans, the 3A KingCo Golfer of the Year, signed his national letter of intent on Dec. 3 to attend and golf for Duke University.

Evans is currently the top ranked overall player in the state by Junior Golf Scoreboard, which also has him ranked 42nd nationally and 26th in the class of 2022 with a scoring differential of -4.87. Golfweek ranks Evans as the 44th player overall and 25th in the class of 2022.

He earned the 3A state crown as a freshman and continued his winning ways in the Washington Junior Golf Association (WJGA) realm by notching titles the last two summers. That makes five WJGA championships for Evans, who also triumphed from 2015-2017. Washington Golf named Evans its junior boys player of the year, making him the first Mercer Island High School golfer ever to be awarded this prestigious honor.

“Ethan is wise beyond his years and a true student of the game,” said Duke head men’s golf coach Jamie Green. “His trajectory as a player has been significantly upward for years now. Each time we connected with him during the recruiting process, we were impressed. After a while, it was a no-brainer that we would benefit from having him become a Blue Devil — and in return, I’m confident that Duke University and our program can help him continue to blossom.”

In a previous Reporter article, Evans said the college recruiting process was tough because it was done remotely, but he felt a connection with the Duke coaches and program during his Zoom discussions and received a partial scholarship.

He did get a chance to visit the school in Durham, North Carolina, while taking a side trip following a tournament back east this past summer. His decision to go with Duke was solidified when he checked out the campus.

“It just felt like it could be my home for several years. I’m really excited about that and definitely feel really fortunate with how it (worked out),” said Evans, who hopes to major in either economics or communications.