The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1190316
JANUARY 2020 ■ 77 BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State men's golf coach Press McPhaul has a veteran nucleus of three seniors and a junior, but hopes some of his younger players push the veterans. Seniors Benjamin Shipp, Christian Sal- zer and Campbell graduate transfer Brett McLamb anchor the team, along with ju- nior Easton Paxton. Freshmen Max Stein- lechner and Carter Graf — the only two international players on the roster — aim to provide competition, and so could the third rookie on the roster, Spencer Oxendine of Fayetteville, N.C. "We have seven guys who have played a lot and have been pretty productive," McPhaul said. "There hasn't been a ton of separation among those seven." NCSU lost its top three performers from last year's ACC Championships. The Wolf- pack finished sixth in the league and were paced by Paxton, who tied for ninth after carding a 211. Salzer was the fourth-best performer and tied for 32nd, while Shipp tied for 38th. NC State wrapped up its 2018-19 cam- paign by finishing tied for eighth at the NCAA Stanford Regional. Shipp led the way, tying for 12th place with a three- round score of 209. Salzer was third on the team and tied for 43rd overall with a 216. Unlike most sports, the golf team is able to hit the ground running at fall events. The student-athletes also all play golf exten- sively over the summer. "There will be entertaining competition as we go on here and move into the spring," McPhaul said. "Nothing is really set up or certain." Shipp had the sixth-best mark in program history for season-stroke average, with a 71.06 last year. He was named an honorable mention All-American by the Golf Coaches Association of America last year. He finished tied for second at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate in Jonesbor- ough, Tenn., this fall, which was a good boost of confidence for him. "Ben played well enough to win, and he has won before," McPhaul said. "He has been gaining strength and getting better and better. "He has great hands and great touch around the greens. He can hit really deli- cate shots. He is a really good putter." McPhaul called Shipp a burgeoning "art- ist" at creating shots. "Before he plays a shot, he can stand out there and see exactly what he wants the ball to do in the air," McPhaul said. "He can create." Salzer earns praise for his competitive- ness on the course. LOOKING FOR SEPARATION Veteran Leaders Should Help Deep Wolfpack Be In The Hunt Senior Benjamin Shipp notched five top-10 performances last season, including winning the Wolfpack Intercollegiate and the Puerto Rico Classic. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS MEN'S GOLF PREVIEW ■ By The Numbers 2 Golfers from last year's team were named honor- able mention All-Americans by the Golf Coaches Association of America — Stephen Franken, who has graduated, and current senior Benjamin Shipp. 5 Eagles last year for graduate transfer Brett McLamb at Campbell, which ranked No. 77 in the country. 65 Shots for Shipp in a round this past fall, which was the lowest by an NC State player, after he shot a 7-under-par at the Bank of Tennessee Intercol - legiate Oct. 11.