Snow and golf have never meshed well. Add in a little wind, sleet and freezing rain, and you have yourself a killer combination.
These are exactly the elements the men's golf team faced when it kicked off its spring season in January. Just like any other sport, golf requires preparation in the off-season. The extra work put forth outside of competition can make the difference between last place and gold trophies. For Duke, the grind of cold weather workouts can only mean bright returns later this spring.
"Even though the weather has been bad, I don't see it having a negative effect on the guys that are going to be playing," Blue Devil head coach Rod Myers said. "I have been pleased with the enthusiasm the guys have shown. They are working on their games, trying to get in as many swings as possible."
Regardless of the weather, the Blue Devils will attempt to head into its second season by building off the groundwork it established this past fall. Not only did Duke win the Kiawah Intercollegiate Golf Tournament in early September, but it followed that victory with three other top-five finishes and a seventh-place finish at the Reliaster Collegiate Invitational. The overall solid play of Duke was only marred by scoring inconsistencies.
"I was very pleased with the fall," Myers said. "We had a great win at Kiawah to get things started. Every tournament we had a good round, but we also managed to fit in a mediocre-to-poor round which kept it from being a great fall. As is the case with every other sport, we need more consistency."
Leading the way for Duke will be a solid mix of youth and experience. At the head of the pack stands senior All-American Joe Ogilvie. As the top Blue Devil finisher in four of Duke's six tournament appearances, Ogilvie also lead the the team with a 73.6 scoring average. His top overall finish of the fall was fourth place at both Kiawah and the Northwestern Windon Memorial.
Right behind Ogilvie in the lineup will be junior Jason Buha. Hailing from Michigan, Buha might feel more at home in the recent bad weather. His 74.6 scoring average and sixth-place finish at the Newport Adams Cup proved that he he can handle all the elements. Buha's three sub-par rounds placed him second behind Ogilvie's six.
Justin Klein is a player who is most reflective of the Blue Devil's inconsistencies. Third on the team in scoring with 75.8 strokes a round, Klein, a senior, saw the fall go by from both the high and the low end. His third-place finish at the Keswick Club Cavalier Classic was offset by his erratic play at the Duke Golf Classic and the Reliastar Invitational. For Duke to move to the next level, it will need the consistent, strong play that Klein is capable of producing.
"Ogilvie is our big gun, and the next two spots for us are solid," Myers said. "Jason Buha took his game to another level in the summer, and he played solidly this fall. He has become a go-to guy. The key for us lies in Justin Klein. We're not trying to put any pressure on him, but he's got to be able to take the heat."
The next two spots for the Devils are pretty much wide open. Senior Danny Brawley and sophomore Chris Schmid saw considerable action in the top five, and junior Eric Bertrand stepped his play up toward the end of the season. Qualifying for the top five spots is taking place right now, and the players have somewhat surprised their coach.
"I was both surprised and pleased with some of the scores [during qualifying]," Myers said. "Chris Schmid shot 71 and Eric Bertrand 69 at Treyburn [Country Club]. If that is a preview of this spring, it's going to be fun."
The second season for the Blue Devils will see them take a tour of the southeast, following their first tournament, which will be held in Puerto Rico on Feb. 16-18. The next stop will be in Lakeland, Fla., at the Florida Southern Invitational in early March, followed by several trips to South Carolina and Georgia. The regular season will climax in late April at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships and the Palmetto Invitational. Whether or not the season continues on from there in the NCAA tournament will depend on the team's performance the rest of the way.
"We would go to the regionals if they were selected right now," Myers said. "I think we have a chance at winning the conference championship. In order to do this, it will require the guys to play at their highest level. We can be a very good golf team. We just need a few pieces to fit together in order to do this."
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