November 13, 2026 | Men's Golf
Missouri State men's golf coach Neal Stafford has announced the addition of three high school standouts to his team's roster for the 2027-28 season. The newest Bears include a pair of Missouri prep stars and a German player with extensive international experience.Â
Joining Stafford's squad for next year will be Landon Barks of Poplar Bluff, Mo.; Hudson Shy of St. Charles, Mo.; and Luca Herb of Nubloch, Germany.
"I anticipate this being our best signing class during my time here and possibly in the history of Bears' Golf," said the Bears' veteran coach. "Coaches put a lot of time and effort into building relationships in the recruiting process and I couldn't be more grateful to these three young men and their families for sharing in the vision we have for Missouri State golf. I think we will look back and see this time as the rock-solid foundation in bringing championships to Missouri State Bears' Golf!"Â Â
Barks is the third-ranked player in the state according to Junior Golf Scoreboard and the 2026 Missouri Golf Association Junior Player of the Year. He won the Missouri Junior Match Play title this past summer and is the reigning Class 4 state champion for Poplar Bluff High School. He also finished sixth in the Missouri Junior Amateur this year and qualified for the U.S. Junior Boys Championship.
"I couldn't be more excited to have Landon join us next fall," Stafford said. "As I continued to get to know him in the recruiting process, I saw more and more of a competitive desire. His experience at the local, regional and national level has been such a big part of his development. He has proven he is one of the best in this class on a national stage. He is very calculated in his approach to his game and wants to come here and win."
The fourth-rated player in Missouri by JGS, Shy was dominant in the St. Louis area junior ranks this past season. He captured the Metropolitan Junior Am title by shooting 71-67-70--208 (eight-under-par), and shot a course-record 61 in the opening round of the Jim Jackson Invitational at Algonquin Golf Club on his way to a six-shot victory. He also finished runner-up at the Missouri Junior Amateur and posted a pair of top-25 finishes at AJGA events over the summer.
"Hudson is going to be a game-changer for us," said Stafford. "His maturity and talent on and off the golf course will be some of the best our program has seen. I anticipate him stepping into a leadership role immediately as he arrives to campus. And he possesses a complete game as he continually finds himself in contention week in and week out. I think he is one of the best juniors to come from the St. Louis area in recent years."
Herb has been ranked as high as third in the German junior rankings and as high as 760 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. The younger brother of current Bear freshman Leon Herb, Luca is the current Srixon Junior Open champion and, in the past year, has placed fourth at the French Global Junior Championship, fifth at the International Match Play Trophy, 10th at the German Match Play Trophy and 12th at the German Team Championship.Â
"Luca will continue to add to the Bears' strong international presence," noted Stafford. "His competitiveness has been evident during the entire time we have built our relationship the last couple years. I anticipate him stepping into our lineup immediately and becoming one of the best Bears of all time! Joining his brother Leon here will be such an amazing experience that they will both share."Â Â
The Bears are coming off a fall campaign in which they posted a pair of top-five finishes and set a school 54-hole scoring record. They'll be kicking off their spring season Feb. 8-9 at the Bentwater Intercollegiate in suburban Houston.
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Joining Stafford's squad for next year will be Landon Barks of Poplar Bluff, Mo.; Hudson Shy of St. Charles, Mo.; and Luca Herb of Nubloch, Germany.
"I anticipate this being our best signing class during my time here and possibly in the history of Bears' Golf," said the Bears' veteran coach. "Coaches put a lot of time and effort into building relationships in the recruiting process and I couldn't be more grateful to these three young men and their families for sharing in the vision we have for Missouri State golf. I think we will look back and see this time as the rock-solid foundation in bringing championships to Missouri State Bears' Golf!"Â Â
Barks is the third-ranked player in the state according to Junior Golf Scoreboard and the 2026 Missouri Golf Association Junior Player of the Year. He won the Missouri Junior Match Play title this past summer and is the reigning Class 4 state champion for Poplar Bluff High School. He also finished sixth in the Missouri Junior Amateur this year and qualified for the U.S. Junior Boys Championship.
"I couldn't be more excited to have Landon join us next fall," Stafford said. "As I continued to get to know him in the recruiting process, I saw more and more of a competitive desire. His experience at the local, regional and national level has been such a big part of his development. He has proven he is one of the best in this class on a national stage. He is very calculated in his approach to his game and wants to come here and win."
The fourth-rated player in Missouri by JGS, Shy was dominant in the St. Louis area junior ranks this past season. He captured the Metropolitan Junior Am title by shooting 71-67-70--208 (eight-under-par), and shot a course-record 61 in the opening round of the Jim Jackson Invitational at Algonquin Golf Club on his way to a six-shot victory. He also finished runner-up at the Missouri Junior Amateur and posted a pair of top-25 finishes at AJGA events over the summer.
"Hudson is going to be a game-changer for us," said Stafford. "His maturity and talent on and off the golf course will be some of the best our program has seen. I anticipate him stepping into a leadership role immediately as he arrives to campus. And he possesses a complete game as he continually finds himself in contention week in and week out. I think he is one of the best juniors to come from the St. Louis area in recent years."
Herb has been ranked as high as third in the German junior rankings and as high as 760 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. The younger brother of current Bear freshman Leon Herb, Luca is the current Srixon Junior Open champion and, in the past year, has placed fourth at the French Global Junior Championship, fifth at the International Match Play Trophy, 10th at the German Match Play Trophy and 12th at the German Team Championship.Â
"Luca will continue to add to the Bears' strong international presence," noted Stafford. "His competitiveness has been evident during the entire time we have built our relationship the last couple years. I anticipate him stepping into our lineup immediately and becoming one of the best Bears of all time! Joining his brother Leon here will be such an amazing experience that they will both share."Â Â
The Bears are coming off a fall campaign in which they posted a pair of top-five finishes and set a school 54-hole scoring record. They'll be kicking off their spring season Feb. 8-9 at the Bentwater Intercollegiate in suburban Houston.
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Players Mentioned
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