Spartans Men's Golf Set To Open 2009 Season
9/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 10, 2009
2009 Fall Golf Preview: Spartans Hit The Links
Spartanburg, S.C. - The USC Upstate men's golf team won't exactly ease into the 2009 fall season, it will jump full force into competition, playing in two tournaments in a span of five days, and it will do so with three new faces in the lineup.
Upstate head coach Todd Lawton said goodbye with a hearty thank you to lineup mainstays Baxter Culler, Jamie Lightsey and Tyler Tucker last spring after the trio, along with fellow senior Andy Brooks, played their final tournament at the Fossum invitational at Michigan State. The three were inaugural members of the NCAA-era golf team and helped put Upstate golf on the map. The three helped lead the Spartans to a second-place finish in the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championships and led Upstate into the ranks of NCAA Division I.
Lawton will turn to a pair of seniors to lead the way with three fresh faces in the lineup. Josh Gallman and Michael Lawrence have been more than key contributors to the success of the program, they joined with Baxter Culler to spearhead the rise of the team. Gallman is Upstate's all-time leader with four wins, 13 top 5 finishes, 24 top 10 finishes and a 73.1 stroke average. Lawrence ranks second all-time with two career wins and finished last season with the Spartans' second-best stroke average on the year. He was the only Spartan to claim an individual title, winning the Holiday Inn Express/CFSC Classic hosted by A-Sun rival Stetson. Gallman and Lawrence have been stalwarts on the team and are expected to lead as a number of players battle for positions in the lineup.
Bryan Otis, Tyler Comer and Kevin Hentz are returning players who will vie for playing time. Otis may very well claim one of the spots in the lineup. He has tournament experience, playing in six events a year ago. He had an up and down year and is expected to be more consistent this season with more opportunities to contribute to the team. Comer did not see action as a freshman in 2008-09, but gained valuable experience in practice and qualifying rounds. A star on the high school (nearby Broome HS) and junior circuits, he has the talent to be a regular in the lineup. Hentz has been a solid role player on the team despite not seeing tournament action for the Spartans.
Brian Horton, from nearby Boiling Springs and a transfer from Gardner-Webb, is expected to battle for a starting spot as well. He had a solid prep career and appeared in one tournament for the Bulldogs last year.
McKenzie Oref and Matthew Hopper are freshmen who are expected to battle for time in the lineup as well. Oref, from Easley, S.C., has a steady game and can be a solidifying presence on the course. Hopper, from Gaffney, S.C., had a standout junior career and helped propel Gaffney High School into the upper echelon of teams in the 4A ranks.
Looking Back At 2009-10
Year two in NCAA Division I was solid, though it failed to live up to the high marks set by the Spartans in 2007-08. Still, Upstate had a strong showing with Michael Lawrence claiming the individual championship at the Holiday Inn Express/CFSC Invitational in November, claiming his second individual title and the seventh for the Spartans in two seasons playing on the Division I level. Josh Gallman continued to lead the way for the Spartans, finishing with a team-best 73.1 stroke average, four top five finishes and seven top 10 efforts. Upstate posted a 299.8 team average per round and claimed six top five finishes in 12 events with a 103-55 head-to-head record. The Spartans finished second at the Rutgers Invitational and the Stono Cup for its top finishes.
Gallman Set To Make One More Run
Senior Josh Gallman is set to make his final run as a college player in 2009-10, having turned in arguably the best career in the history of the men's golf program at Upstate. The University fielded a men's golf team in the 70's and 80's, but discontinued the program in 1991. Gallman headed the second recruiting class in the "new" Upstate golf program in 2006 and has been a star since his freshman season when he finished fourth in the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championships after posting a dominating and electrifying 67 in the final round to lead Upstate to a second-place finish by one stroke. Gallman is Upstate's career leader with four individual championships, 13 top five finishes, 24 top 10 efforts and a 73.1 stroke average. He owns an astounding 2,343-400 head-to-head record for an .854 winning percentage and is currently ranked 197th in the world amateur ranking and 84th in the U.S. amateur ranking by scatchplayers.com.
Lawrence The Glue That Holds The Spartans Together
While Josh Gallman and Baxter Culler have gotten the brunt of the attention over the last four years, senior Michael Lawrence has been the glue that has held the Spartans together and a player who has had direct influence on Upstate making a name for itself first in DII golf and recently in the DI ranks. Lawrence ranks second all-time with two career wins, while ranking third with nine top 10 finishes, a .670 head-to-head winning percentage and a 75.2 stroke average. Last year, he finished the season ranked second on the Spartans with a 74.6 stroke average, trailing only Gallman. He was one of five Spartans to play in the 2007 NCAA DII National Championships and helped pace the team to a second-place finish.
Otis Looks For More Consistency
Bryan Otis saw action in six events last year as a freshman and gained valuable experience which should help his development this year. He is scheduled to start in both of the tournaments to open the season and could join veterans Josh Gallman and Michael Lawrence as returning players who could lead the team. Otis finished last season with the second-lowest single round on the team, a 69 at the Rutgers Invitational.
Oref Set To Make Collegiate Debut
McKenzie Oref is set to make his collegiate debut in the Rutgers Invitational after a solid career at Easley High School. He was a member of his high school team since the eighth grade and led Easley to four-straight appearances in the 4A state tournament, finishing third in 2007, second in 2006 and winning the title in 2005. An all-region selection, he also had a solid junior career, qualifying for the U.S. Junior Nationals as well as finishing 13th at the 2008 SCJGA Players Championship.
Comer, Horton Look To Bolster Lineup
Sophomores Tyler Comer and Brian Horton look to make a splash this week in their first action as Upstate golfers. Comer did not see action last year as a freshman for Upstate, though he had a strong prep and junior career at Broome High School. He was a two-time 2A all-state selection and was the region player of the year. Horton played in one tournament for Gardner-Webb in 2008-09 before transferring to Upstate this year. Horton had a standout prep career at nearby Boiling Springs High School, earning two all-region selections and finishing ninth at the 2007 4A state tournament.
