After a 16th place finish last weekend in Colorado, the Wildcat golf team looks to regroup and refocus going into the second tournament of the fall slate.
Head coach Tom Shaw said that Eisenhower Golf Course offered many challenges for the players that put the Wildcats at a disadvantage against teams who were well accustomed to fast and undulating greens and a higher altitude associated with mountain courses.
Adjusting in the competition environment must come with experience, and as the season goes on the coaching staff is confident that the team will be better suited to adapt and succeed.
“I’m confident that we’ll be much improved moving forward,” Shaw said. “This is an inexperienced team with a lot of fresh faces, so we’ll have our bumps along the way, but we’ll also see some great things too.”
Shaw has confidence in the team’s performance for the rest of the season as practice continues and the team’s chemistry makes each individual a viable option for a winning roster. The starting five this week will include senior Ryan Beatty, juniors G.K. Morrison and Clarke Hudgins, sophomore Garrett Glanton and freshman Bryce Dooley as well as individual senior player Kyle Karnei.
The Wildcats will travel to Ruston, Louisiana to compete at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate hosted by the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Saturday.
The three-round tournament begins with an early start Monday morning and continues for two rounds, followed by a single round on Tuesday. ACU will get its first look at conference competition as they face several conference foes including Lamar, Stephen F. Austin, Incarnate Word, Central Arkansas and Houston Baptist.
The 54-hole course at Squire Creek Country Club is one of the top courses in the southern United States and maintains a level that Shaw said will really test all aspects of the men’s game.
“We’re excited for the challenge,” Shaw said. “It will really help us become better players and ultimately make us a better team this spring.”
