After finishing 10th in its only tournament in February, the NC State men’s golf team has been in fine form in March.
Bolstered by strong performances from juniors David Cooke and Carter Page, who tied for eighth individually, the Wolfpack finished third out of an 18-team field this past weekend at the Mission Inn Spring Spectacular in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.
A week earlier, the Pack putted its way to second place out of 15 teams at the General Jim Hackler Championship in Myrtle Beach. Sophomore Jacob McBride led the Pack in South Carolina with a ninth-place finish, while Cooke placed sixth.
When developing a game plan in other sports, it is important to study the opposing team in order to know the strengths and weaknesses. In golf, it is all about the course. Bunkers and water hazards can add numerous points to an overall score.
Head coach Richard Sykes said golfers must develop a plan of attack while in the heat of competition, familiarizing themselves with their surroundings as the round progresses.
“Adjusting is what golf is all about,” Sykes said.
Previously, NC State saw finishes consistently around 10th place at tournaments such as the Puerto Rico Classic and the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate.
Compared to other sports, a golf roster is much shorter, which places emphasis on individual play in relation to cumulative team standing.
The State team placed its fourth-best score of a combined 286 the last day of play in Puerto Rico, with individual scores ranging from 2–17 over par. All three days of play were added up to a score of 888, putting the Pack 24 strokes over par.
In comparison, that same score (888) earned NC State its top-three placing in the Mission Inn Spectacular with individual players carded anywhere from 2–14 strokes over par.
Sykes, an NC State alumni and 40-year coaching veteran, attributes the lower finishes to weather or course-related adjustments, but remains confident in his team.
“The inability to practice due to weather is what gets us,” Sykes said.
As the season has progressed, the conditions at tournaments have steadily turned in the Pack’s favor.
Heavy rain in Tennessee limited the Pack as United States Golf Association rules dictate golfers may only be protected from the elements during putting. All other strokes are not to be tampered with.
Recent weather has been much more favorable. It’s difficult not to enjoy playing in temperatures in the low 80s in the last week of February as the Pack did.
While Cooke and McBride have had consecutive top-10 finishes in 2015, it is hard to ignore freshman Carter Simon. The Ontario native has already matched some of his upperclassmen teammates with a personal best 71 twice at the Wolfpack Open.
Redshirt sophomore Stanhope Johnson ranked the highest for the Pack at 22nd place at Puerto Rico Classic. On the same day, James Chapman, a redshirt senior, carded the third lowest score the course had seen (69).
Sykes recognizes the individual successes of his players; however, he said he believes the Wolfpack team as an entity has one thing in common: consistency.
That steadiness will certainly be necessary when NC State drives against the Georgia Bulldogs, which is one of the 24 colleges with a golfer on the watch list for the prestigious Ben Hogan Award.
Bulldog junior Lee McCoy is catching attention with his SEC leading average of 69.6. The Bulldogs also took first place in Puerto Rico with a team score of -12.
Wolfpack golf plays from September until April and traveling ranges from Tennessee to as far away as Puerto Rico. When asked if the full-year schedule was difficult for the team, Sykes made it clear the Pack never slows down.
“We’re fortunate to play year-round,” Sykes said. “It’s fun for us.”
More fun is yet to come for the Pack, with big names like Ole Miss and Vanderbilt in the schedule.
