Wake Forest Athletics
Men's Golf Has Busy Week Ahead
3/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
March 5, 2004
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WAKE FOREST MEN'S GOLF
NEWS & NOTES
COMING UP NEXT
March 8-9
General Jim Hackler Intercollegiate
TPC of Myrtle Beach
Murrells Inlet, SC
Par 72 * 6,950 yards
Participating Teams (18): Coastal Carolina (host), Arkansas, Charlotte, East Carolina, East Tennessee State, Furman, Kansas State, Long Beach State, Louisville, Michigan, Pepperdine, South Alabama, South Carolina, Texas-Arlington, UCF, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
March 12-14
Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship
Southern Highlands Golf Club
Las Vegas, NV
Par 72 * 7,381 yards
Participating Teams (15): UNLV (host), Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Augusta State, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, New Mexico, North Carolina, NC State, UCLA, Wake Forest, Washington
Busy Week Ahead
After nearly a month break, the Wake Forest men's golf team swings back into action this coming week. During the University's Spring Break, the Deacs compete in two tournaments. First up is a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the General Jim Hackler Intercollegiate hosted by Coastal Carolina. That event takes place at TPC Myrtle Beach on Monday-Tuesday, March 8-9. The Deacs then turn around and head to the other side of the country, competing in the Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship in Nevada over the weekend, March 12-14. The event will be held at Southern Highlands Golf Club. Both of these tournaments are new events for Wake Forest.
The Deacon Lineup
Wake Forest will use two slightly different lineups next week. Going to Myrtle Beach will be senior Bill Haas, junior Doug Manchester, sophomores Kyle Reifers and Alex Yates and freshman Sean Moore. Yates is making his first appearance since the season opener in September. Haas, Manchester, Reifers and Moore will also go to Las Vegas, and will be joined by freshman Chad Wilcox. Wilcox had previously competed in every event so far this season.
Deacs In The Rankings
Wake Forest is currently ranked 17th in the GolfWorld coaches poll, 18th in the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) poll and 17th in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings. The Deacs have held pretty steady in the 'teens in all three sets of rankings this season after being ranked 7th by GolfWorld and 6th by the GCAA in the preseason. Sagarin, which also ranks strength of schedule, lists WFU's 2003-04 tournament slate as the 10th-toughest in the nation.
Individually speaking, Haas tops the charts at No. 1 in the Sagarin ratings, a position he has held all season long. Haas' rating of 67.25 is over one and a quarter points better than the No. 2 player, Jeff Overton of Indiana. Haas' head-to-head record so far this season is 416-17-8.
Reifers, with two strong performances so far this spring, has climbed to an impressive 32nd in the ratings and is eighth-highest rated ACC player.
Haas Chasing Hallberg
Haas has won three of six tournaments so far this season, bringing his career total to eight collegiate titles. He currently ranks tied for second all-time at Wake Forest in collegiate events won, with Curtis Strange (1974-76) and one behind Gary Hallberg's school-record nine (1977-80). Haas entered this season tied with his father, Jay (1973-76), and Lanny Wadkins (1969-71), who both had five victories while at WFU.
Statistically Speaking
Haas has counted 100 percent of his rounds toward team totals, finished among the top 12 in all six events, and has shot equal or under par in over 88 percent of him rounds ... WFU boasts two of the top three stroke averages in the ACC, as Haas leads the league with 68.24 and Reifers is third at 70.86.
A Record-Setting Performance
Haas' 18-under 195 at the Jerry Pate National (63-66-66) was a new career low, and is the lowest tournament score by a Deacon golfer since Chris Kite shot a 21-under 195 at the 1986 Chris Schenkel. His first-round 63 at the Jerry Pate was the lowest single-round score by a Deacon golfer since Todd Lynch fired a 63 at the 1996 Taylor Made Red River Classic.
On A Streak
Haas has turned in 12 consecutive rounds equal or under par, one shy of his own school-record 13 set last season. He also had a streak of seven straight rounds in the 60s earlier in the season. That streak breaks his previous school record of four straight, set in the spring of 2002.
No Sophomore Slump
Reifers has recorded four top 20 finishes so far this season, including top 10 showings in three of the last four events. Five of his last 10 rounds have been in the 60s, including a career-low 65 in the PING-Arizona. He also recorded a career-low tournament score of 204 in that event.
Youthful Exuberance
After graduating four seniors off last year's fourth-place NCAA team, Wake Forest is now playing with quite a young lineup. A combination of at least two freshmen have competed in five of six events. Two sophomores also make up part of the regular rotation.
Wake Forest's most-used lineup this year (3 events) has been a senior, two sophomores and two freshman. But at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate in October, featuring one of the most competitive fields on this year's schedule, the Deacs placed a very solid sixth with a senior (Haas), sophomore (Reifers) and three rookies (McLean, Moore and Wilcox).
Players Mentioned
