Sept. 10, 2006

Second year Head Men's Golf Coach Dr. Gary Nelson talks about the team's trip to Hartford for the Hawks' Invitational and his excitement for the upcoming season.

What a difference a year makes. Our first under par tournament.- that means that fifteen rounds were added up to total four under par at Hartford. Add to the results that one of our freshmen, playing as an individual, which doesn't count toward team score, was two under on his own ball and in seventh place after his first two rounds of collegiate golf.

You can see why I am so excited. Last year our program only had a vision; as coach, I thought our team showed promise, and that improvement would come. We played with a very young team, one of the youngest in the nation, never traveling with less than three freshmen, and often traveling with four in our five man traveling team.

Last Fall we finished as high as fourth, learning about each other both as golfers and as individuals. We also came to believe that we were going to be a very good team.

Spring brought more success, concluding with a second place finish in our conference championships. Along the way we learned to break barriers in scoring.

The previous year we hadn't scored a round under 300 - that is an average of 75 strokes a man. Last year we were under 300 more often than not. Once, in Utah, we even had an under par round which we duplicated in the WCC championships.

This season started early, last Wednesday the team flew off to Hartford Connecticut to play the Hartford Invitational in just their second week of school. The tournament was held on the only Tom Fazio design in New England. At par 72 and 6,950 yards in length it was an excellent venue. It was a difficult but fair test, requiring constant attention to course management, rewarding good shots, while severely punishing poor execution. Our team's performance gave promise of great things to come.

First, we almost won the event. We closed six strokes during the final round, watching as the last hole dictated the eventual outcome. We finished second by three strokes to a veteran team from Campbell University of North Carolina, and so far in front of third that it didn't matter.

As a side note, Campbell's team is made up of six Swedish, four English, and only two American players. We do it with home grown talent.

Secondly, we had two team rounds under par. shooting a 285 - three under par, and a 286 - two under par, in the first and second rounds. For the third round the course was set up to be very difficult. We had the low round of the day at 289, one over par.

What was fantastic was that it gave us our first under par tournament since I became coach. What was particularly rewarding was that every one on the squad contributed.

Our two rookies, Chris Cunningham and Coner McElyea both contributed under par rounds. Chris in particular threw a 67 with a 31 on the back nine. Domingo Jojola shot his usual consistent three rounds, but this time he was under par for the whole tournament on his own ball.

Kenny Adams, another new arrival had an even par tournament with a 69 in the final round. Jesse Galvon, and Taylor Hobin also gave fine performances with rounds of par when it seemed that Campbell was going to pull away.

It was exciting watching the USF players and I couldn't help but wonder on the flight home if there wasn't some way I could have squeezed three more strokes our of our effort. A win will come soon. I feel it in the way the players walk and talk, the confidence that is growing in them with every round, the competitiveness that is shown in every qualifying tournament, in they way they strut when around the other teams. Golf is a game of confidence and we are on our way.