The inaugural NCMC Pirate's men's golf season is in the books. The team placed 8th out of 9 in this past weekend's combined Region 16 and Region 24 tournament. "Overall I'm pleased with our first season. I think everyone, including myself, learned a lot about golf at this level. Next fall we'll do a better job of aligning our priorities with what it takes to be successful in the classroom and on the course. We have a very talented class coming in to join Jamie Connelly, Seth Gladbach, and Easton Klaver," stated Coach Sager.
Individually, Connelly placed 26th to lead the Pirates. "Throughout the competition, I felt like I hit it off the tee very well. I feel like my chips around the greens weren't as good as they needed to be for me to score. The course was in great condition. There are a few opportunities for birdies on that course, but there are also several difficult holes where numbers can add up quick," remarked Connelly.
Connelly believes he has better golf in front of him. "I've struggled this semester with my game. I feel like I'm just now getting things back where they need to be to compete. Unfortunately, this was the last competition of the season and it's disappointing to not reach my potential. I'll travel back to Scotland and practice the things that I struggled with this season. My goal is to play as many competitions as possible this summer, both back home and in the US, to get my game ready for the fall season. I'm excited to get back in the fall and meet my new teammates. Hopefully I can teach them from my own experience the proper way to approach the game. As a team, we should always be pushing each other to get better," he commented.
Coach Sager sees consistency as the key to the team's future success. "The guys struggled to get three rounds put together. Jamie, Easton, and Seth all had good stretches throughout the tournament, but they just couldn't get things rolling consistently. Charlie and Cade had trouble with the course. All of the holes on that course require perfect tee shots to stand a chance and they just weren't putting themselves in position," Sager detailed. Klaver shot the best single round score with a 77 in the final round.
"I can't thank the sophomores and their parents enough for their part in getting this program off the ground. Lane Beverlin (who graduated at semester), Cade Mullenix and Charlie Hoffman were really good to work with this year. They knew they were behind the curve starting a new program, but they worked hard to make the best of the situation," Sager concluded.