Golf season closes

    The GCSU golf team has wrapped up regular season play with two tournaments scheduled around spring break. 
    The Bobcats’ final round was on April 8 in the Emerald Coast Collegiate Tournament in Pensacola, Fla., where they had a much better showing than in their previous tournament, the Bobcat Invitational, played at the Club at Cuscowilla in Eatonton, Ga., on Mar. 24-25.
    The Bobcats finished ninth of 17 teams in the Bobcat Invitational, their home tournament, which was a discouraging result for golfers and coach alike.
    “It felt like maybe we started spring break early,” head coach Jimmy Wilson said. “Obviously I was disappointed in the way we played.”
    Freshman Joe Young elaborated on his coach’s sentiments.
    “We all struggled, and couldn’t get anything going,” Young said. “We may have put unnecessary pressure on ourselves because it was our home tournament.”
    Because Cuscowilla is the Bobcats’ home course, the players are familiar with the layout and should have had a slight advantage over the competition, but irregularities in the course due to weather affected the golfers’ approach.
    “The conditions were really tough,” senior Juan Bialet said.  “We are used to shooting well there, and seeing lower scores.”
    Sophomore Francisco Bidé led the way for the Bobcats, carding rounds of 77, 71, and 73 for a 221 tournament.  Bidé was the only golfer in the top ten for GCSU, tying for ninth.
    After a week off, the Bobcats returned to play on April 7 in Pensacola.  The University of West Florida, which placed first in the Bobcat Invitational, hosted the tournament, and the Argos defended their home course well for their second straight victory. 
    The top-ranked Argos finished 188-0 against Division II competition this season.
    The Bobcats returned to their early-season form, holding off Valdosta State University for second place out of 17 teams.
    Young had a solid tournament, shooting 71, 74, and 73 for a 218, placing him in a tie for eighth overall.
    “The team picked up where we left off before the Bobcat tournament,” he said. “We realize that the postseason is coming up, and we elevated our level of play.”
    Bialet also played well, finishing tenth, only one stroke above Young’s total.
    “We still could have played better, but we are definitely ready for the postseason tournaments,” Bialet said.  “We also now have our top five players set, so that makes things easier.”
    Their coach was also much more pleased after their final round of the regular season.
    “I think we’re getting there,” Wilson said.  “Four guys had rounds under par, which is certainly encouraging, so I’d say we’re looking good heading into the postseason.”
    The team currently sits at No. 10 in the Golf World/Nike Golf Division II rankings. The Golfstat head-to-head standings have the Bobcats tied for ninth at 179-9 in division play.
    The Peach Belt Conference championship tournament will take place April 21 and 22 in Aiken, S.C.  A strong showing there will result in an NCAA regional tournament berth, with the national championship tournament awaiting the top teams.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 11 2008. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry