The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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64 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY RYAN TICE T he men's golf team was close to having some great finishes this past fall, according to Hall of Fame head coach Richard Sykes. They did claim a victory at the Wolfpack Intercolle- giate in October behind co-medalist David Cooke, a junior, but they finished ninth at the Dick's Sporting Goods Collegiate Chal- lenge Cup and 10th at the Bank of Tennes- see Intercollegiate. "I guess you might say the fall was an almost," said the coach, who is in his 45th year at the helm. "We got in position two or three times to have some really good fin- ishes, but we really only finished it out one time. I think we're just learning how to be a good team." The mentor equates his team figuring that out to a new player learning the sport — it's a process, and progress is not always steady. "It's a game of learning," he said. "All of our players are good players, all of them have been successful at different levels, but now we have to learn at another level where competition is better." NC State did not qualify for an NCAA re- gional last year for the first time since 2007. However, the mentor is quick to note that each team is different and last year will have no bearing on his squad this season or his enthusiasm about the group he has. Sykes has a pretty good idea of who his top six players will be. However, he noted that the starting lineup of five was fluid throughout the fall, and that trend could con- tinue through the spring. The coach said it's important to have seven or eight players that he's comfortable with playing. Cooke was the team's top finisher at two of the three fall tournaments, while class- mate Carter Page paced the squad by ty- ing for 29th in the season opener. However, the top players in spring qualifying for the Puerto Rico Classic, held Feb. 22-24, were redshirt sophomore Stanhope Johnson and sophomore Jake McBride. Senior James Chapman rounds out the top five, while Sykes was quick to note that classmate Colby Lyles was currently sixth, but will contend to crack the starting lineup. The same player might not be the Pack's best each outing, and that's fine with the coach. "The lineup keeps changing," Sykes noted. "Sometimes, we end up playing with guys that have less experience, sometimes they have more experience. It will depend on how they're playing. "That core of six will probably do a lot of ■ PREVIEW MEN'S GOLF Junior David Cooke led NC State in scoring average (71.7) and was the team's top finisher at two of the three tournaments during the fall. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS ON THE CUSP The Wolfpack Is Looking To Break Through This Spring