2008 Woodie Awards
New coach leads final golf season
By David Duke
Rocket Contributor
Issue date: 3/3/06 Section: Sports Extra
The Slippery Rock University golf team opens the spring portion of its season with new goals and aspirations to go along with a new coach in the sport's final season at SRU.
First-year coach Marty Rinker said he believes his team has a lot of potential and sees this season as a chance to show everyone that his team is better than the first half record showed.
"We didn't play well as a team last fall," Rinker said. "At this point we're not going to make regionals as a team, but there is a lot of room for improvement and our goals are to be much more successful this semester both individually and as a team."
Matt Walsh and Adam Scott lead this year's team. Both golfers hope for team victories as well as improvements in individual performances.
"I'm really hoping we can win our tournament at the end of the year," Walsh said. "As for myself I'm hoping to make it to regionals and win a tournament as an individual."
Rinker said in order for Walsh to qualify for regionals, he would have to place in the top three or four of all tournaments this spring.
Each tournament includes five golfers from each team. For each tournament there are usually 10-15 teams that make up the field. Rinker said, three of the five spots are locked for tournaments by Walsh, Scott, and junior Adam Schuster, while the other two can be had by other members of the team who can earn their way on by qualifying through individual team tournaments.
The low four scores are then added up and the team with the low total wins the tournament.
The Rock has a total of five tournaments this spring. The first of which takes place over spring break in Bluffton, South Carolina followed by one on March 29 in Camp Legune, N.C. The team returns home to compete in three more tournaments following spring break.
On Apr.12 the team travels to play in the IUP Invitational followed by the Rock's home tournament at Oakview Golf Club. The year will be capped off at the Cal State Invitational on Apr. 17 and 18.
The most important tournament for the team is its lone home tournament of the semester.
"A goal that we all have is to win our home tournament and send Rock golf out on a high note," Walsh said.
Walsh said in order to accomplish that goal the team needs to improve upon mistakes it made last semester as a team.
"We just need to play more consistently as a team," Walsh said. "Last semester was too erratic for me individually and for us as a team. If we can put together a bunch of solid rounds we can have a successful final half of the season."
First-year coach Marty Rinker said he believes his team has a lot of potential and sees this season as a chance to show everyone that his team is better than the first half record showed.
"We didn't play well as a team last fall," Rinker said. "At this point we're not going to make regionals as a team, but there is a lot of room for improvement and our goals are to be much more successful this semester both individually and as a team."
Matt Walsh and Adam Scott lead this year's team. Both golfers hope for team victories as well as improvements in individual performances.
"I'm really hoping we can win our tournament at the end of the year," Walsh said. "As for myself I'm hoping to make it to regionals and win a tournament as an individual."
Rinker said in order for Walsh to qualify for regionals, he would have to place in the top three or four of all tournaments this spring.
Each tournament includes five golfers from each team. For each tournament there are usually 10-15 teams that make up the field. Rinker said, three of the five spots are locked for tournaments by Walsh, Scott, and junior Adam Schuster, while the other two can be had by other members of the team who can earn their way on by qualifying through individual team tournaments.
The low four scores are then added up and the team with the low total wins the tournament.
The Rock has a total of five tournaments this spring. The first of which takes place over spring break in Bluffton, South Carolina followed by one on March 29 in Camp Legune, N.C. The team returns home to compete in three more tournaments following spring break.
On Apr.12 the team travels to play in the IUP Invitational followed by the Rock's home tournament at Oakview Golf Club. The year will be capped off at the Cal State Invitational on Apr. 17 and 18.
The most important tournament for the team is its lone home tournament of the semester.
"A goal that we all have is to win our home tournament and send Rock golf out on a high note," Walsh said.
Walsh said in order to accomplish that goal the team needs to improve upon mistakes it made last semester as a team.
"We just need to play more consistently as a team," Walsh said. "Last semester was too erratic for me individually and for us as a team. If we can put together a bunch of solid rounds we can have a successful final half of the season."
