VILLANOVA, Pa. – After one of the most successful seasons in program history, head coach James Wilkes announced Villanova golf will be adding two transfers to its 2023-24 roster.
PJ O'Rourke (Fordham) and Jackson Lehner (UDallas) will make their way to the Main Line, joining freshmen Peter Barros, Ian Love and Nathan Marion as newcomers to the Wildcats.
PJ O'Rourke
Graduate
Paramus, N.J. / Blair Academy / Fordham
Fordham: Played four years as a member of the Rams … Maintained a 72.9 stroke average in his senior fall with two top-10 finishes … Led the Fordham lineup at the 2023 Atlantic 10 Championship with 30th place on the leaderboard …Tied Fordham's lowest mark in the last 20 years with a 73.6 stroke average through nine events as a junior … Became Fordham's best ever-finisher at the A-10 Championship in 2022 with his third top-10 finish of 2022 … Participated in six events during the shortened 2021 spring, shooting a season-low 73 four times … Competed in four of six fall events as a freshman with a team-low average of 76.8 before COVID-19 cancelled the season.
Blair Academy: Earned four varsity letters at Blair … Four-time Mid-Atlantic Prep League champion … 2016 Non-Public Group B state champion … Team captain as a senior.
Personal: Born 3/1/00 in Ridgewood, New Jersey … Son of Peter and Brinn O'Rourke … Has four siblings: Molly (31), Phoebe (30), Hannah (26) and Finn (19) … Enjoys fishing, traveling and caddying … Plans to major in finance … Chose to attend Villanova "to broaden my finance knowledge in the business school and play a more serious golf schedule" … Noted "the competition at Villanova and in the BIG EAST is the golf I've always dreamed about playing."
Jackson Lehner
Junior
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. / Montverde Academy / University of Dallas
UDallas: Spent first two years at the University of Dallas … Named a 2021-22 First Team All-Conference selection in the Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference … Earned two All-Tournament selections during his sophomore year at the Rhodes Invitational and Alamo City Classic … Selected as the SCAC Men's Golfer of the Week on Sept. 26, 2022.
High School: Spent two years at the Holderness School in New Hampshire and the other two at Montverde Academy … Played golf all four years as a scholastic, two years at each school … Received team's 2019 Most Valuable Player and won Lakes Region individual and team championships as a sophomore at Holderness … Also competed on the Eastern Alpine Ski Team at Holderness … Picked up ski team Coaches Award in 2018 and finished top ten in the slalom race … Earned High Honor Roll during all eight semesters of scholastic career.
Personal: Born 4/10/02 in Morristown, New Jersey … Son of John and Suzy Lehner … Has two older brothers, Andrew and Connor … Enjoys skiing, which he competitively participated in growing up … Chose to attend Villanova because of "the reputation of the finance department as well as having the opportunity to play on the golf team. Villanova's strong sense of community is something I value and I am proud to be part of it."
