The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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112 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL I t is never easy to succeed a coaching legend, but it helps when you have some pretty good golfers to work with. NC State head coach Press McPhaul was tasked last year with replacing Richard Sykes, who was his former college coach with the Wolfpack. Sykes had been with NC State for 46 years, and McPhaul played collegiately at NC State from 1991-96 and competed in three NCAA Championships. McPhaul later became a Wolfpack assis- tant coach from 1998-2000, before getting hired to be the head coach at Vanderbilt and East Carolina. His ascension to his alma mater seemed like a storybook ending last year. Golfers Stephen Franken and Benja- min Shipp made the transition easier. "Both of those guys are really solid, and Ben gave us a lot of good play last year and played beautifully at the regional," McPhaul said. "He helped us advance to the NCAAs. "Stephen was just consistent all the way through." McPhaul wouldn't say being back at NC State was like riding a bike last year, but more accurately described like a dif- ferent vehicle entirely. One big difference from his previous stint at NC State was the creation of the Lonnie Poole Golf Course on campus. "The whole profile of the entire athletic department is a lot stronger and a lot higher than in 1996," McPhaul said. "It was a little like getting off your Schwinn in 1996 and hopping on to a Harley in 2018. "I think it's something recruits like to see and it is a beautiful golf course. It also shows the interest and commitment in golf at NC State." McPhaul did not envision being a golf coach back when he was a player at NC State, but Sykes encouraged him along the way. "He … felt I had some qualities and some gifts that might help me become a good coach one day," McPhaul said. "He, of course, has recruited everybody on this team except for one." NC State finished 24th out of 30 teams at the NCAA Championships, and had an eighth-place showing (out of 12 squads) at the ACC Championships. Franken, now a senior, in particular en- joyed a terrific year, averaging 70.56 shots per round and tying for 107th out of 155 golfers at the NCAA Championships. His stroke average led the Wolfpack for the third consecutive year. "He can keep getting better because he has a great work ethic," McPhaul said. "He plans really well, thinks through things and he reflects well on his performances. He is going to get better and better." The Raleigh native finished tied for fifth at the NCAA Regional and tied for sixth at the ACC Championships. Franken was named the ACC Player of the Year and the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He also earned some national recognition. Golf Coaches Association of America and Golfweek both named him second-team All-American. Franken proved consistent through the regular season. He shot par or better in 24 out of 36 rounds, and was the top NC State finisher in six different tournaments. He tied a program-record with a 15-under-par score during a 54-hole Wolfpack Intercol- legiate. He also tied a school record when he shot a low round score of 62 in the Senior Stephen Franken was tabbed as the ACC Player of the Year in 2017-18 after averaging 70.56 strokes per round — the second lowest in school history — while posting six top-five finishes and two additional top-10 showings. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS M E N ' S GOLF PREVIEW DRIVING FORWARD NC State Is Aiming To Build Off Last Year's NCAA Championships Showing