Junior Harrison Rhoades lays up a shot from a bunker in the NCAA Austin Regional at the University of Texas Golf Club on May 16, 2017." />
Courtesy of NC State Men’s Golf Facebook
Junior Harrison Rhoades lays up a shot from a bunker in the NCAA Austin Regional at the University of Texas Golf Club on May 16, 2017.
It is a new season with a new head coach and new expectations for the NC State men’s golf team.
In its first competition of the fall, the Wolfpack finished the Wolf Run Intercollegiate at Zionsville, Indiana, in fifth place out of 16 teams. Shooting a .891 (+39) in the tournament, the Pack looks for continued improvement in the upcoming Golfweek Conference Challenge. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the three-day tournament will feature teams from 15 conferences across the nation.
New head coach Press McPhaul comes in after the retirement of longtime golf coach Richard Sykes. Having competed for the Wolfpack from 1991 through 1996, McPhaul served as an NC State assistant coach from 1998 until 2000 before becoming the head coach of Vanderbilt for six years and then for East Carolina University until this season.
“His knowledge and love of NC State, and track record of building programs make him an ideal fit,” Director of Athletics Debbie Yow told gopack.com.
McPhaul brings the expertise of competing in three NCAA Championships and winning an NCAA East Regional title in 1996 as a member of the Wolfpack. McPhaul has coached three NCAA Championship qualified teams and seven NCAA Regional competing teams. McPhaul has also coached 11 all-conference and four All-American golfers and has seen 22 PGA Tour champions come from his teams.
The 10 golfers on the Wolfpack roster aim to build on decent performances from a season ago. In 2016-17, the team registered nine top-five finishes including a tournament victory at the local Wolfpack Spring Open, fifth place overall at the ACC Championship and an NCAA Regional appearance.
Individually, the Pack will try to build on the success they showed last weekend. Junior Harrison Rhoades led the way at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate shooting 221 (+8) through all three rounds. Junior Stephen Franken, who had a team high six top-10 tournament finishes last year, shot a 223 (+10). A trio of juniors which included Harrison, Franken and Nolan Mills Jr. all shot even at 71 in the first round.
McPhaul and company will start the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Iowa Sunday and conclude the tournament Tuesday.