Deamon Deacons Build Towards the Future
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
February 9, 1999
It is said that great programs don't rebuild, but rather reload. The Wake Forest men's golf program boasts a rich tradition of champions, and second-year head coach Jerry Haas has definite plans to continue that tradition. Haas enters the spring '99 campaign in the midst of a reloading process, however - a process which has brought the Demon Deacons some ups and downs but promises a brighter future.
The Deacs are coming off a disappointing 1997-98 season which saw Wake fall short of its lofty preseason expectations. After an NCAA runner-up finish in '97 and a No. 3 preseason ranking, the veteran Deacon squad played well enough to earn an NCAA regional bid but missed the national cut for the first time since 1990.
The Deacs took a big hit to graduation, losing three starters with 107 career tournaments between them - more than this year's entire squad combined. Haas therefore spent the fall season retooling his lineup and looking for new leaders to emerge. After a solid fifth place showing in the opening tournament, however, Wake struggled in its four remaining events, placing in the bottom half of the field in each outing.
"The fall season obviously didn't go as well as I'd hoped," Haas said, "but we're going to do some new things this spring to shake things up a little. Certainly the talent is there, no question about it. It's going to take everybody, though. If we all play solid golf - good team golf - everything else will take care of itself."
The Deacons' spring lineup will be anchored by a trio of seniors in Michael Capone, Oscar Sanchez, and Juan Vizcaya. Junior Jamie Gallacher and freshman Jay Morgan will most likely round out the starting five, although sophomore Ryan Peiffer is expected to see some playing time as well.
"The team is basically made up of a lot of seniors," Haas said, "and I need their leadership if we're going to be contenders in the ACC and on the national scene. They realize that this is a pretty big spring for them. It's going to be their last go-around, and they want to make some things happen before they leave Wake Forest."
A third-year starter, Capone is the most experienced of the three seniors and will be looked upon to provide leadership to the team.
"I've asked Mike to be the leader this year," Haas said, "but a quiet leader, a leader by example. I need him to play well, that's the bottom line."
Capone is a seasoned veteran with tremendous length and an improved short game. An honorable mention All-American in his sophomore season, he was a crucial part of the Deacs' NCAA runner-up squad in 1997. Capone competed in 12 of 13 events last year, posting a 74.0 stroke average and two top 20 finishes, and he led the team in the fall with a 73.3 average and two more top 20s.
Sanchez is an international talent with a great deal of potential. A member of the Spanish National Team, he earned All-ACC honors as a sophomore, posting the team's second-lowest average (73.5). Sanchez struggled throughout last year, however, playing in just six events and posting the team's highest average at 77.5. Haas is hopeful that he will return to form in the spring and be a key contributor.
"Oscar has a tremendous amount of talent," said Haas. "If he works hard and plays the way I've seen him play, he can be an under-par guy every week and really lead this team."
Also a member of the Spanish National Team, Vizcaya has seen action in each of his three previous seasons at Wake Forest. Last year he competed in five events, including the final three tournaments of the spring season. He posted a 75.0 spring stroke average, carding 69s in back-to-back events. Vizcaya played in just two tourneys this fall, recording a 76.3 average, but has worked hard to elevate his game for the spring campaign.
"The thing I like about Juan is that he doesn't give up," said Haas. "He plays hard, and he's very bull-headed. I've really seen a work ethic in him since the fall."
Gallacher got his first taste of action last spring, performing impressively in three events. He tallied a 75.9 spring average, then started all five events this past fall to record the same average. Gallacher boasts outstanding fundamentals and a strong short game, and Haas expects to see improved play from him in the spring.
A highly-recruited junior player, Morgan stepped right into the lineup this fall and played in every event, posting the second-lowest stroke average on the team (74.5). He earned a top 10 finish in just his third career tournament, placing eighth at the Windon Memorial Classic. A strong player with a beautiful swing, Morgan should only see his game improve in the spring as he gains more confidence and experience.
Peiffer, a local product, made the team as a walk-on last fall and has shown significant improvement in his game over the past year. He competed in two events this fall, recording a 79.8 average, but has increased his length and improved his short game. Haas anticipates him contributing in a few tournaments this spring.
Freshman Bart DeLuca brings outstanding golf skills and will fight for a shot at some playing time as well. A strong-willed player and a great competitor, DeLuca boasts an impressive short game and a winning attitude.
Seniors Thomas Parker and Craig Inman will provide depth to the Deacon lineup while providing leadership to the team's younger players. Parker is a fifth-year senior who has competed in 13 career events, posting a 76.2 stroke average. Inman has yet to get his first taste of action in a collegiate tourney.
Freshman Cortland Lowe will likely redshirt the 1998-99 season as his game continues to mature. The two-time Georgia state high school champion, Lowe will undoubtedly be an impact player for the Deacs in years to come, however.
For the seventh straight year, Wake Forest will open the spring at the Puerto Rico Classic, which should serve as a good measuring stick for the Deacs against some other ACC squads. More conference teams are on the slate at the Seminole Classic, while the Chris Schenkel Intercollegiate and the Carpet Capital Collegiate feature the strongest overall fields. The BellSouth Intercollegiate will serve as a tune-up for the ACC Championships, while the Wofford Invitational gives Wake the chance to face some regional foes one last time before the postseason begins. This year's road to the national title begins in Rhode Island at the NCAA East Regional and ends in Minnesota at the NCAA Championships.
