University of North Carolina men’s golf coaches Andrew DiBitetto and Noah Goldman announced the signing of two high school All-Americas to athletic scholarship agreements.
Preston Hage of Raleigh and Asher Vargas of Spring, Texas, will be joining the Tar Heel program next season.
“Noah and I are excited to add Asher and Preston to our Carolina golf program and family,” says DiBitetto. “They are excellent players with a lot of experience, and both have won significant tournaments. Most importantly, both are first-class young men who come from amazing families. They are positive, joyful, kind, thoughtful people, but they are also extremely competitive and hardworking. Asher and Preston love golf and have a relentless desire to improve. We look forward to being around them daily and doing everything we can to help them achieve their goals on and off the course.”
Hage was recently named a first-team Rolex Junior All-America. He shot a second-round 62 last month en route to winning the AJGA PING Invitational by nine strokes at The Saticoy Club in Somis, Calif. He made eight consecutive birdies in the second round, shooting 28 on the front nine and set the 18-hole course record at The Saticoy Club.
Hage attends Broughton High School in Raleigh. He also won the Tar Heel Youth Golf Association High School Challenge, shot 66-71-67 to finish second in the 2024 Jones Cup Junior Invitational and 67-69-72-67 for second place in the 2025 Azalea Invitational. In 2025, he also placed third in the Carolinas Amateur, fourth in the Bobby Chapman, tied for eighth in the AJGA Wyndham Invitational, tied for ninth in the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods, tied for 15th in the Dustin Johnson World Junior and tied for 16th in the Western Junior.
The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR) list Hage as No. 1 in the state, No. 4 in the class of 2026 and No. 8 overall. Junior Golf Scoreboard ranks him No. 1 in North Carolina, No. 3 in the class and No. 6 overall.
“I’ve been a lifelong Tar Heel fan whose dream has been to play golf at UNC,” says Hage. “I am extremely thankful to Coach DiBitetto and Coach Goldman for the opportunity to become part of the Tar Heel golf family and have access to the incredible opportunities that will help grow my game. My goal is to help Carolina win a national championship.”
Asher Vargas was named a 2025 Rolex Honorable Mention Junior All-America. He finished third this year in the AJGA Junior PLAYERS, tied for ninth in the RJX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic and was 19th in the LJT Byron Nelson Junior.
In 2024, Vargas won the Wyndham Invitational (66-68-70) at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. He also placed second in both the AJGA Thunderbird Heather Farr Classic and Boys Junior PGA, was third in the Byron Nelson Junior and tied for 13th in the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions.
He played in the 2024 Wyndham Cup, represented the U.S. on the Junior Presidents Cup team and was named the Southern Texas PGA Junior Player of the Year.
Vargas attends Grand Oaks High School and won the 2025 UIL Class 6A State Golf individual championship.
He is ranked second in the state of Texas by Junior Golf Scoreboard (third by TUGR) and is 19th in the class and 30th overall in both rankings.
“UNC Golf has an incredibly special culture that is driven by the goal of making each player into not only a better golfer, but a better person, too,” says Vargas. “I can’t wait to work under Coaches DiBitetto and Goldman over these next 4 years as I play alongside some of the most competitive and close-knit teammates I could ask for.”
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