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The Rice Thresher
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by Chris Larson thresher editorial staff A busy fall season came to an end for Rice's golf team Tuesday when the Owls struggled to a 13th-place finish in a 15-team field at The Prestige at Palm Desert, Calif. The break until spring season begins in mid-February couldn't come at a better time for the golfers, who have had to adjust to the departure of their head coach just a few weeks before the start of the season. As a result, they had to develop chemistry with a new coach and three new freshmen and then endure a schedule that saw them play six mid-week tournaments at sites all over the country. "It's been a long season with all the changes," sophomore Bradley Lane said. "We had the coaching change at the beginning, and then we had tournaments three weekends in a row. It's no excuse for a poor performance, but I think we could have been a little out of gas." Putting problems were a specific weakness for the Owls in California. "The course wasn't frantically difficult, but we struggled with the greens," Lane said. "We didn't make as many putts as we could have, and that cost us a lot of shots." Those shots were ones the Owls could not afford in the high-caliber field at the aptly-named Prestige, which attracted several quality teams from California as well as top squads from the rest of the nation. Northwestern University, which took home the team title, is ranked seventh nationally. "It was real good competition," Lane said. "There were a lot of teams from the West Coast that we don't get to see too often." A highlight of the tournament was the play of freshmen Scott Philips and Ryan Morgan, who led the Owls individually. Philips finished in a tie for 22nd with a total of 221 strokes, while Morgan tied for 37th with 223. "The freshmen have been wonderful," Lane said. "They really have performed well. They've been the most consistent of all. They haven't made a lot of the 'young mistakes' people say freshmen are supposed to make - they're people to depend on." Philips has been the top player for the Owls in three of their six fall tournaments. Morgan rebounded from a weak performance in the season opener to be one of the Owls' top players on a regular basis. "I'm really proud of Ryan," Lane said. "He had a real tough run the first time, but he bounced back." While the Owls were not satisfied with their finish in California, they say it was the exception during a fall season that contained several successes and has the golfers eager to display their potential during the spring. Under the direction of head coach Clay Homan, the Owls have shown a new level of competitiveness, twice finishing in the top half of the field during fall tournaments. Additionally, each Owl has shown the ability to put together an outstanding round of golf. Four Owls posted top-20 individual finishes over the course of the fall. "I'm very excited about where the team stands," Lane said. "We have faith and trust in Coach, and he has faith and trust in us, and a lot of good things can happen when that's the case. "We feel like we're going to come out and beat some people in the spring. We're getting better by the game, and we're focused toward what we're working for." Sophomore Lyall Rowan, who injured his hand in an automobile accident last spring, will be ready to play in the spring to fill out the Rice lineup. "We'll have seven really solid players," Lane said. "That's what you need to have a competitive program." Besides preparing for conference and regional championships in the spring, one of the goals the Owls have in sight is a strong showing at their spring opener when they host the Rice Invitational Feb. 12-13 in Katy. Included in the invitational field is Mississippi State University, the school former head coach Greg Martin abruptly left Rice for at the beginning of the year. "Not only is it our home turf, but Mississippi State is going to be there," Lane said. "It's our personal mission in life to beat them as hard as we can. I think when we're out practicing in the cold December weather and we want to go in, that'll make us stay out and hit a few more balls."
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