Upstate Prepares for Division II Nationals
7/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 20, 2007
Spartanburg, S.C. - As the USC Upstate men's golf team prepares for its first ever NCAA Nationals appearance, the Spartans will do so as one of 20 teams and 105 individuals battling for the 2007 national championship at The Meadows, a 6,992-yard, par 71 course in Allendale, Mich.
The field will participate in practice rounds Sunday and Monday prior to starting the four-round tournament Tuesday. Upstate will begin the tournament Tuesday with the first tee time slated for 12:50 p.m. and the final tee time at 1:30. Wednesday's second round will begin at 7:30 a.m. for the Spartans. The tee times for the final two rounds will be determined by team standing in the tournament. Upstate will be paired with Abilene Christian and the field of individual qualifiers in the first two rounds.
The field at the national championships is one deep with tradition and talent, and the Peach Belt Conference has more than shown its strength in recent years. The league has claimed four straight national championships, starting with Francis Marion in 2003. USC Aiken, which was unable to advance out of regionals this year, has won the last three national titles. Upstate enters the tournament ranked No. 10 in the nation, its highest ranking in just the second year of competition. Fourteen of the 20 teams are ranked in the latest Golf World/Nike Top 25 Coaches Poll, including top-ranked Florida Southern and second-ranked Columbus State. Abilene Christian, the Spartans' playing partner in the first two rounds, is ranked eighth in the nation.
Upstate has garnered tremendous attention and respect for such a young program. The University fielded a men's golf team in the 1980's when the institution was affiliated with NAIA. However, the program was discontinued after the 1990-91 season. The University reestablished the program, and started the women's golf program, in 2004 with competition beginning in the 2005-06 season. The last two years have been marked by consistent success. Upstate garnered six top five finishes in 11 tournaments in 2005-06 and earned a bid to the NCAA Regionals.
This season has been even more impressive for Upstate. The year started off with Baxter Culler winning the Kiawah Island Invitational with a 7-under-par score against some of the region's top teams. Upstate claimed the team title in the very next tournament at the Johnny Palmer Memorial. Upstate carried its strong play from the fall into the spring and became one of the hottest teams in the nation. The Spartans' lowest finish in seven spring tournaments was a fifth-place showing at the Bobcat Invitational Mar. 26-27. Upstate claimed three second-place finishes and turned in two third-place efforts in the spring, including taking second place at the Peach Belt Conference Championships. Culler, again, proved his worth, winning the individual conference championship. He began the season as the Peach Belt leader in stroke average and never relinquished his place atop the list. The Spartans earned a second straight trip to the NCAA Regionals and, after holding onto second place for most of the regional, settled for a fourth-place finish and a trip to the Nationals.
In all, Upstate has eight top five finishes in 12 tournaments during the 2006-07 season, winning one team and two individual championships. The Spartans have failed to finish in the top 10 just once this year. Upstate averages a 298.5 team score which is an average +12 relative to par.
Five Spartans have made the trip to Allendale, Mich., for the national championships, the same lineup head coach Todd Lawton (pictured) has used in every tournament this spring. Culler, a sophomore from Hartsville, S.C., has been the undisputed leader on the team, despite being one of the most low-key athletes you will ever come across. He owns a 72.6 stroke average, tops in the Peach Belt Conference. He has won two individual titles this year, the season-opening Kiawah Island Invitational and the Peach Belt Conference Championships. He has six top five and eight top 10 finishes on the year and has placed in the top 20 in all 11 tournaments. He owns an 822-97 head-to-head record against his tournament foes and was an All-Conference selection.
While Culler has led the Spartans throughout the season, he has not been alone in turning in stellar performances on the year. Freshman Josh Gallman, from nearby Gaffney, has had a strong season. He carries a 74.8 stroke average and owns 679-240 head-to-head record against his tournament opponents. He has five top 10 finishes and six top 20 efforts in 12 tournaments this year. He finished tied for sixth at the Johnny Palmer Memorial and turned in another sixth-place finish at the Peach Belt Conference Championships. In his last two tournament - the Peach Belt Championships and the NCAA Regional - he has improved his score in every round of both tournaments.
Ian Schneider has brought experience to the team. After graduating with honors from the University of South Carolina and playing on the golf team for three seasons, the Charlotte, N.C., native enrolled at Upstate as a graduate student with one year of eligibility remaining. He has turned in a solid year, collecting three top 10 and six top 20 finishes in 11 events this season. He currently ranks third on the team with a 75.9 stroke average and owns a 542-298 head-to-head record against his tournament opponents. He finished tied for sixth at the Johnny Palmer Memorial and also finished in a tie for sixth at the Tusculum Invitational.
Michael Lawrence has become a key player for Upstate. The sophomore ranks fourth on the team with a 76.7 stroke average. He has played in all seven events this spring and owns a 325-162 head-to-head record against tournament opponents. The Easley, S.C., native has one top 10 effort and has finished in the top 20 on four occasions. He finished tied for sixth with a 1-under-par score at the Buccaneer Invitational.
Tyler Tucker emerged as a solid contributor as a freshman late last season and helped the team in the NCAA Regionals. He has played in 11 of the 12 events this season and has turned in some solid performances. The Gray Court, S.C., native ranks sixth on the team with a 77.8 stroke average and owns one top 10 finish, finishing tied for seventh at the Presbyterian College Intercollegiate.
