University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: Golf Is Gonna Be Good
9/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, September 15, 2010, 2:44 p.m.
I know everyone out there normally looks forward to football season, then the start of basketball, and if and when baseball is added, that will be next. But I've gotta admit, the start of golf season at North Texas has grabbed my attention.
Golf season in the fall? Yep. The women started the season off with a bang by winning the Worldlink NT Fall Classic. The competition wasn't very fierce, but the results speak for themselves. Golf is one of those sports that you compete against the field, and then you compete against yourself.
In the girls case they smoked both. Here's a sampling of the records broken over the last two days for girls.
Lowest Round
Lowest 36-hole score
Lowest 54-hole score
Addison Long- second lowest round of golf in school history
Kelsey Kipp- lowest 54-hole score in school history
Kelsey Kipp- third lowest 36-hole score.
In case you're wondering, Long's round of 68 was the lowest round of golf in 22 years. This team has set the bar pretty low, in terms of scoring. When Jeff Mitchell arrived, he didn't inherit a program on life support, but it was a program that was meandering around from good, then bad, then mediocre.
Too much mediocrity if you ask me. Mitchell however, a veteran if ever there was of the golf world, has slowly built this team into a strong contender. Winning the opening tournament can only instill confidence. Looking way into the future and the SBC Championship, Denver is the team to beat, always have been to.
The Pioneers are the equivalent to the mid-90's Atlanta Braves, they always won the Division title, and Denver always wins the SBC title.
North Texas has taken steps forward, but the Pioneers have come back slightly to the pack. The Mean Green has to make more than steps forward though to catch Denver, it will take leaps the length of a football field.
Speaking of leaps forward, Brad Stracke's men's team is about to take a moon landing like leap. He's gonna get mad at me for saying this, but this could be the best men's team in a decade, or more.
Super freshman Rodolfo Cazaubon and Carlos Ortiz are both back and now sophomore's. Transfer addition's Ty Spinella and Josh Jones make the lineup deeper. Peter Eiler, a freshman, makes the deep lineup, deeper, and then deeper.
North Texas finished the year ranked 78th. The top 50 is probably a realistic goal with a conference title something to think about.
It could be better than that, but just so I can keep on Stracke's good side, let's say the top 75 will be a good goal.
Not a marquee sport in terms of attention, but this golf season could shape up to be one to get excited about.....in September.
