Following up yesterday's post, here is a look at the aggregate data from all the Golf World/Nike Golf men's coaches' polls since the magazine resumed compiling them in 2001 to the present.
GOLF WORLD/Nike Golf men's coaches' poll
Number of times poll has been compiled: 80
Number of schools that have been ranked: 73
Number of teams that have been ranked No. 1: 9
Georgia, 21; Oklahoma State, 21; Florida, 11; Clemson, 9; Alabama, 6; Georgia Tech, 5; Stanford, 3; UCLA, 3; Charlotte, 1
Number of teams that have appeared in every poll: 4
Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State
Most times ranked in the top 25:
Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, 80
USC, 77
Clemson, 75
UCLA, 72
Texas, 66
UNLV, 65
Arizona State, 64
Wake Forest, 58
Tennessee, 55
Washington, 55
Duke, TCU, 52
Most consecutive times ranked in top 25 (all-time):
Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, 80
UCLA, 72
USC, 62
UNLV, 43
Stanford, 39
Most consecutive times ranked in the top 10 (all-time):
Oklahoma State, 67
Georgia, 52
Stanford, 36
Florida, 32
USC, 29
Most consecutive times ranked in the top five (all-time):
Georgia, 47
Oklahoma State, 24
Clemson, 21
Florida, 13
USC, 12
Longest current streaks ranked in top 25:
Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, 80
UCLA, 72
Stanford, 39
Texas A&M, 25
Texas, 22
Illinois, 20
Washington, 20
Longest current streaks ranked in top 10:
Oklahoma State, 67
Augusta State, 9
Florida, 5
Georgia Tech, 4
Alabama, 3
Longest current streaks being ranked in top five:
Oklahoma State, 24
Alabama, 3
Florida, 3
UCLA, 2
Georgia Tech, 2
Number of schools that have been ranked in the top 10: 44
Oklahoma State, 77; Florida, 74; Georgia, 61; Georgia Tech, 53; UCLA, 45; Clemson, 44; USC, 40; Stanford, 36; Arizona State, 33; Texas, 33; Alabama, 31; UNLV, 31; TCU, 26; Wake Forest, 24; Augusta State, 19; Washington, 19; Arizona, 13; Texas A&M, 13; Illinois, 11; Florida State, 10; BYU, 9; Charlotte, 9; Auburn, 8; Duke, 8; Minnesota, 7; New Mexico, 7; Tennessee, 7; Oregon, 6; Indiana, 5; Kentucky, 5; Georgia State, 4; Lamar, 4; North Carolina, 4; South Carolina, 4; Virginia Tech, 4; Arkansas, 3; Coastal Carolina, 3; Fresno State, 3; N.C. State, 2; Chattanooga, 1; East Tennessee State, 1; Iowa, 1; LSU, 1; Oklahoma, 1
Number of schools that have been ranked in the top five: 29
Oklahoma State, 66; Georgia, 51; Florida, 39; Georgia Tech, 30; UCLA, 28; Clemson, 27; Stanford, 26; Alabama, 24; USC, 14; Wake Forest, 14; Washington, 10; Texas, 9; UNLV, 8; Arizona State, 7; Augusta State, 7; New Mexico, 6; Charlotte, 5; Arizona, 4; Duke, 4; Oregon, 4; Texas A&M, 4; Minnesota, 3; Florida State, 2; Kentucky, 2; TCU, 2; BYU, 1; Illinois, 1; Lamar, 1; Tennessee, 1
Results for December 2010
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A closer look at the coaches' polls, Part 1
With college golf in the midst of its winter break, it allowed me to do a little housekeeping and catch up on a project I've been wanting to undertake for a while now: mining the Golf World coaches' polls.
It was at the start of the 2001-02 season that the magazine resumed running the coaches' polls. During the 2006-07 season, we partnered with the two coaches' associations to help administer them.
My project, then involved going through each Division I poll from September 2001 to the present to identify interesting trends and see how schools have fared over the past 10 years. Needless to say, the data I uncovered was pretty interesting.
Today I'll give you the best info from the Golf World/NGCA women's coaches' poll. Come back tomorrow to see the men's findings.
GOLF WORLD/NGCA coaches' poll
(2001 to the present)
Number of times poll has been compiled: 79
Number of schools that have been ranked: 55
Number of teams that have been ranked No. 1: 7
Duke, 40; Arizona State, 12; UCLA, 10; Auburn, 8; Alabama, 3; Georgia, 3; USC, 3
Number of teams that have appeared in every poll: 4
Auburn, Duke, Georgia, USC
Most times ranked in the top 25:
Auburn, Duke, Georgia, USC, 79
Arizona, 78 (Did not appear in the April 13, 2009 poll)
UCLA, 78 (Did not appear in the Nov. 23, 2001 poll)
Pepperdine, 77 (Missed Nov. 1, 2010 and Nov. 22, 2010)
Wake Forest, 75
Oklahoma State, 74
Florida, 72
Tennessee, 71
Vanderbilt, 68
California, 67
New Mexico, 66
Stanford, 66
Arizona State 61
Most consecutive times ranked in top 25 (all-time):
Auburn, Duke, Georgia, USC, 79
Pepperdine, 77
UCLA, 75
Oklahoma State, 72
Wake Forest, 67
Most consecutive times ranked in the top 10 (all-time):
Duke, 63
Auburn, 59
Arizona State, 51
Oklahoma State, 38
Georgia, 37
Most consecutive times ranked in the top five (all-time):
Duke, 59
Arizona State, 40
UCLA, 24
USC, 19
Auburn, 18
Longest current streaks ranked in top 25:
Auburn, Duke, Georgia, USC, 79
UCLA, 75
Wake Forest, 67
Purdue, 45
Alabama, 30
California, 30
Longest current streaks being ranked in top 10:
USC, 36
UCLA, 33
Alabama, 24
Purdue, 11
Duke, 10
Longest current streaks being ranked in top five:
UCLA, 11
Duke, 10
Alabama, 5
USC, 4
LSU, 3
Number of schools that have been ranked in the top 10: 29
Auburn, 74; Duke, 74; UCLA, 61; Georgia, 57; USC, 57; Arizona State, 56; Oklahoma State, 55; Arizona, 40; Pepperdine, 38; Purdue, 31; Vanderbilt, 27; Alabama, 24; Florida, 23; Tennessee, 23; Ohio State, 22; Texas, 19; California, 15; Virginia, 15; Wake Forest, 14; Arkansas, 12; Washington, 11; New Mexico, 10; LSU, 9; Michigan State, 8; Stanford, 8; Tulsa, 7; Denver, 2; UNLV, 2; New Mexico State, 1
Number of schools that have been ranked in the top five: 24
Duke, 69; UCLA, 56; Auburn, 54; Arizona State, 43; Georgia, 28; Oklahoma State, 28; USC, 28; Pepperdine, 15; Arizona, 12; Texas, 10; Florida, 7; Tulsa, 7; Purdue, 6; Alabama, 5; Ohio State, 5; Vanderbilt, 5; Virginia, 5; LSU, 4; New Mexico, 4; Washington, 4; California, 2; Denver, 1; Michigan State, 1; Tennessee, 1
It was at the start of the 2001-02 season that the magazine resumed running the coaches' polls. During the 2006-07 season, we partnered with the two coaches' associations to help administer them.
My project, then involved going through each Division I poll from September 2001 to the present to identify interesting trends and see how schools have fared over the past 10 years. Needless to say, the data I uncovered was pretty interesting.
Today I'll give you the best info from the Golf World/NGCA women's coaches' poll. Come back tomorrow to see the men's findings.
GOLF WORLD/NGCA coaches' poll
(2001 to the present)
Number of times poll has been compiled: 79
Number of schools that have been ranked: 55
Number of teams that have been ranked No. 1: 7
Duke, 40; Arizona State, 12; UCLA, 10; Auburn, 8; Alabama, 3; Georgia, 3; USC, 3
Number of teams that have appeared in every poll: 4
Auburn, Duke, Georgia, USC
Most times ranked in the top 25:
Auburn, Duke, Georgia, USC, 79
Arizona, 78 (Did not appear in the April 13, 2009 poll)
UCLA, 78 (Did not appear in the Nov. 23, 2001 poll)
Pepperdine, 77 (Missed Nov. 1, 2010 and Nov. 22, 2010)
Wake Forest, 75
Oklahoma State, 74
Florida, 72
Tennessee, 71
Vanderbilt, 68
California, 67
New Mexico, 66
Stanford, 66
Arizona State 61
Most consecutive times ranked in top 25 (all-time):
Auburn, Duke, Georgia, USC, 79
Pepperdine, 77
UCLA, 75
Oklahoma State, 72
Wake Forest, 67
Most consecutive times ranked in the top 10 (all-time):
Duke, 63
Auburn, 59
Arizona State, 51
Oklahoma State, 38
Georgia, 37
Most consecutive times ranked in the top five (all-time):
Duke, 59
Arizona State, 40
UCLA, 24
USC, 19
Auburn, 18
Longest current streaks ranked in top 25:
Auburn, Duke, Georgia, USC, 79
UCLA, 75
Wake Forest, 67
Purdue, 45
Alabama, 30
California, 30
Longest current streaks being ranked in top 10:
USC, 36
UCLA, 33
Alabama, 24
Purdue, 11
Duke, 10
Longest current streaks being ranked in top five:
UCLA, 11
Duke, 10
Alabama, 5
USC, 4
LSU, 3
Number of schools that have been ranked in the top 10: 29
Auburn, 74; Duke, 74; UCLA, 61; Georgia, 57; USC, 57; Arizona State, 56; Oklahoma State, 55; Arizona, 40; Pepperdine, 38; Purdue, 31; Vanderbilt, 27; Alabama, 24; Florida, 23; Tennessee, 23; Ohio State, 22; Texas, 19; California, 15; Virginia, 15; Wake Forest, 14; Arkansas, 12; Washington, 11; New Mexico, 10; LSU, 9; Michigan State, 8; Stanford, 8; Tulsa, 7; Denver, 2; UNLV, 2; New Mexico State, 1
Number of schools that have been ranked in the top five: 24
Duke, 69; UCLA, 56; Auburn, 54; Arizona State, 43; Georgia, 28; Oklahoma State, 28; USC, 28; Pepperdine, 15; Arizona, 12; Texas, 10; Florida, 7; Tulsa, 7; Purdue, 6; Alabama, 5; Ohio State, 5; Vanderbilt, 5; Virginia, 5; LSU, 4; New Mexico, 4; Washington, 4; California, 2; Denver, 1; Michigan State, 1; Tennessee, 1
Augusta State's NCAA roar continues
Photo by Chris StanfordDecember always brings about year-in-review packages form magazines/media outlets and at Golf World, we're no exception. Working on our annual Newsmakers issue, I got to revisit Augusta State's improbable victory at last June's NCAA Championship.
I interviewed Jaguar coach Josh Gregory and his five upstarts (above left to right), Patrick Reed, Carter Newman, Henrik Norlander, Taylor Floyd and Mitch Krywulycz (along with a handful of other interested followers) to ask about their memories now that they're six months removed from that fateful week at The Honors Course outside Chattanooga, which culminated with the Jaguars defeating top-ranked Oklahoma State in the championship match, 3-1-1.
Here is a link to a very condensed version of the piece; you've got to get the magazine for the full 1,300-word piece.
In reporting and writing the story, I came away with a couple of interesting impressions, some of them obvious when you read the story.
1) The victory wasn't just a triumph for the Augusta State golf program, but for an entire community.
Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise how much the folks in Augusta, Ga., appreciated golf considering the town does host the Masters each April. Still, when the Jaguars claimed the NCAA title, it was celebrated by more than simply the five guys who won it on the course.
"We had literally thousands of people in Augusta who were hovered over their computer and who were getting updates on Golfstat literally by the second," recalled Dean Newman, president of the team's booster group, the Augusta State Birdie Club (and father of Carter). "And as soon as Golfstat showed we had won that third match, Augusta just went crazy."
It continued later that night with more than 200 fans greeting the team when it arrived back on campus at nearly midnight at the J. Fleming Norvell Golf House. (Check out this You Tube video of that moment.)
"I don't think any of us really had a grasp of how many fans we actually had [until that night]," Floyd said. "You can't really see it on a day-to-day basis, especially in a sport like golf. I don't think any of us realized how much they cared."
And that didn't include the numerous supporters who made the drive to The Honors Course to watch it in person. Each day the Jaguars' crowds grew by a few dozen people, as Augustans decided to make the four-hour ride to make sure they were a part of history.
Impressively, the celebrations continued well into the summer. The team was honored with a golf-cart parade through downtown Augusta and received a proclamation from the mayor's office. Billy Payne invited them to victory round at Augusta National GC. The Augusta Museum of History unveiled an exhibit dedicated to the team. And the Birdie Club hosted a championship banquet that drew more than 1,100 supporters.
"Playing at nationals and having people experience what we went through, they became part of it that week. Seeing those people again, and talking to them again, hearing what they had to say about how special that week was for them, I guess that's the thing that stands out the most from the banquet," says Krywulycz. "Many of those people there experienced what we experienced and went through what we went through, so they feel part of it. That was really cool. I really like talking to them about it and listening to their perspective on what was happening, what they saw and what we didn't get to see."
2) The victory had a true impact on the Augusta State program.
An NCAA title obviously can help boost the profile of any team and school, but when you win one in the only sport that you compete at the Division I level in, that boost gets magnified even more.
"This has always been a program that's searched for that respect, that recognition," Gregory said. "This has kind of validated the success that the former coaches and players have had."
"There is more awareness of our program nationally," added Dean Newman. "It's definitely given us more credibility."
Newman can measure this financially: the championship banquet raised more than $100,000 that will be used to supplement the tiny $29,700 annual budget Gregory has available to him, as well has assist the school's women's program.
Recently the Birdie Club began selling national championship merchandise online, opening a small but symbolic revenue stream.
Gregory, meanwhile, can point to the signing of Cody Schafer, a high school senior from just outside of Augusta, who was being wooed by SEC and ACC schools. "For Cody ... to stay home was very prideful for myself but this means the world for this program," Gregory said. "Somebody has finally seen the light. Hopefully it will mean bigger and better things for us in recruiting."
3) All five guys contributed to the victory.
As I wrote in the story, the entire Jaguar squad came up big in Tennessee. Newman, who struggled in stroke play qualifying, won critical matches in the team's quarterfinal victory over Georgia Tech and semifinal defeat of Florida State. Reed and Norlander went 3-0 in match play, trouncing Oklahoma State All-Americans Peter Uihlein and Morgan Hoffman, respectively, in the championship match. Krywulycz secured the winning point over the Cowboys when he beat Kevin Tway on the 19th hole after being 4 down in their match through 11 holes. And Floyd overcame flu-like symptoms that nearly caused him to have to sit out the semifinals and finals, only to go 1-0-1 in his matches.
"People understand it's a small program and we don't have football but we have a great facility, great coach," Norlander said. "We really proved we can win. It doesn't matter the budget, private jets and all that. It doesn't really matter. If you work hard, you have all the things you need here to be successful. And with the title, I think we showed that."
Critics of the switch to match play make a lot of valid points, but what the format does do is require that an entire team be playing well to win the title. Using strictly stroke play, you could ride the momentum of a hot golfer who posts four low scores. Not so in match play.
4) Two points of serendipity
There are so many nuances/quirks/lucky twists to Augusta State's triumph it's hard to say if this one thing or this one thing didn't happen, the ending comes out differently. However, there are two moments that might go forgotten down the road that perhaps shouldn't.
* After the first round of the NCAA Southwest Regional, where Augusta shot a 15-over 303, the team was in eighth place with only the top five schools getting a chance to advance. Slow starts were a trademark for the Jaguars in 2009-10, but this one could have become a huge issue had it not been for the team shooting a second-round two-under 286 that jumped them on the right side of the bubble before eventually finishing second to Oregon.
"If we don't shoot the low round of the day and move up to the top three, we're sitting at home watching nationals on the computer," Gregory said.
* During the quarterfinals versus Georgia Tech, Reed held a 1 up lead on Chesson Hadley as the two played the par-4 18th hole. Augusta State had already lost two matches to this point and so Reed's full point was critical. It looked as if it wasn't going to happen, however, as Hadley rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt, letting out an emotional roar when the putt dropped. Reed then proceeded to make a 15-foot birdie try of his own, along with similar theatrics when the ball disappeared.
With Reed's win secured, Augusta State went on to beat the Yellow Jackets 3-2 after Norlander knocked off J.T. Griffin on the 18th hole as well.
"I didn't know how I felt about [match play]," Gregory said afterward, "but that's the most fun, most nervous, more exciting, most paranoid I've ever been on the golf course."
5) Gregory deserves praise for keeping everyone calm
I thought this quote from Floyd was telling, and it was the last one I had to cut from my original piece. It speaks to how Gregory handled the situation with his players, keeping them relaxed in a pressure packed situation.
"I give Josh a lot of credit. He never really said, 'Alright boys, this is huge. Hunker down.' He just said, 'Enjoy the hell out of it. Don't necessarily worry about the outcome. You've got four other guys behind you that can play golf.' I think we all took that to heart and it paid off for us."
The irony is that Gregory, 35, wasn't far removed from being at a career crossroads. He had applied for the Duke men's job when it opened in late 2008 but was passed over for the job. Gregory admitted he thought that he had lost out on a dream opportunity. "To think that a year later, there was a reason why I was supposed to be here, that's pretty amazing," Gregory said. "Obviously, I wouldn't trade this for anything."
And how has winning the title changed things for Gregory?
"All of a sudden my opinion seems to matter a lot more now. I seem to be a lot smarter," Gregory joked. "I’ve told everybody, 'I’m the exact same coach. I'll never changed. I just had better players last year that played well at the right time.' "
GCAA, NGCA propose hybrid recruiting models
LAS VEGAS--The hurry-up phase is over, with the leadership at the Golf Coaches' Association of America cobbling together more than a two-thirds majority of members behind a recruiting calendar proposal that involves a limitation on the number of days on the road as well as quiet periods for all coaches.
Now comes the waiting.
GCAA staff will write a formal proposal in the next few days that will be submitted to the NCAA Division I Recruiting and Personnel Cabinet by the extended deadline of Dec. 13. From there, the cabinet is expected to convene in February to review the proposal, along with submissions from other sports associations also asked to submit ideas to streamline recruiting, and figure out a way to proceed.
After a spirited two-hour discussion during GCAA's national convention, in which coaches weighed the pros and cons of several different ideas, 74 of the 90 Division I coaches agreed they could support a hybrid model that included the following details:
* a limitation of 50 days for coaches at any school to be on the road recruiting, to be used at the coaches' discretion.
* a mandated dead period around the week of the fall and spring signing weeks where coaches could not travel for recruiting or meet with prospective student athletes who come to campus.
* a quiet period from the day after Thanksgiving until Dec. 31 in which coaches could leave campus to recruit for a maximum of six days.
Interestingly, the proposal differs only slightly from the one the National Golf Coaches Association, the women's counterpart to the GCAA, told its membership at its annual meeting this afternoon that it had submitted to the NCAA cabinet last week.
The NGCA proposal, according to executive director Roger Yaffe, included the same 50-day limit on recruiting and dead period, but included one additional quiet period from the first day of the NCAA regionals through the final day of the NCAA Championship. That quiet period included one exception that allowed coaches to attend high school state championships within the college's state during that time.
The GCAA's proposal also differs only slightly from the original one that its national advisory board had floated as a trial balloon to members last month.
While a substantial number of men's coaches eventually backed the hybrid proposal, it was not without some consternation. Many in attendance weren't sold on the need for quiet periods, preferring instead to simply limit the number of days coaches could recruit but give them the flexibility to choose when it was best for their institution, depending on school size, location and other factors.
Others, though, weren't convinced that going with only a restriction on days would be enough of a reduction in the eyes of the NCAA cabinet to appease that body in its efforts to improve quality of life issues for coaches and prospective student-athletes as well as help to reduce costs to schools.
Several coaches anticipate that the cabinet will return after its February meeting with questions and comments that in all likelihood will require both the GCAA and NGCA to modify there proposals.
Now comes the waiting.
GCAA staff will write a formal proposal in the next few days that will be submitted to the NCAA Division I Recruiting and Personnel Cabinet by the extended deadline of Dec. 13. From there, the cabinet is expected to convene in February to review the proposal, along with submissions from other sports associations also asked to submit ideas to streamline recruiting, and figure out a way to proceed.
After a spirited two-hour discussion during GCAA's national convention, in which coaches weighed the pros and cons of several different ideas, 74 of the 90 Division I coaches agreed they could support a hybrid model that included the following details:
* a limitation of 50 days for coaches at any school to be on the road recruiting, to be used at the coaches' discretion.
* a mandated dead period around the week of the fall and spring signing weeks where coaches could not travel for recruiting or meet with prospective student athletes who come to campus.
* a quiet period from the day after Thanksgiving until Dec. 31 in which coaches could leave campus to recruit for a maximum of six days.
Interestingly, the proposal differs only slightly from the one the National Golf Coaches Association, the women's counterpart to the GCAA, told its membership at its annual meeting this afternoon that it had submitted to the NCAA cabinet last week.
The NGCA proposal, according to executive director Roger Yaffe, included the same 50-day limit on recruiting and dead period, but included one additional quiet period from the first day of the NCAA regionals through the final day of the NCAA Championship. That quiet period included one exception that allowed coaches to attend high school state championships within the college's state during that time.
The GCAA's proposal also differs only slightly from the original one that its national advisory board had floated as a trial balloon to members last month.
While a substantial number of men's coaches eventually backed the hybrid proposal, it was not without some consternation. Many in attendance weren't sold on the need for quiet periods, preferring instead to simply limit the number of days coaches could recruit but give them the flexibility to choose when it was best for their institution, depending on school size, location and other factors.
Others, though, weren't convinced that going with only a restriction on days would be enough of a reduction in the eyes of the NCAA cabinet to appease that body in its efforts to improve quality of life issues for coaches and prospective student-athletes as well as help to reduce costs to schools.
Several coaches anticipate that the cabinet will return after its February meeting with questions and comments that in all likelihood will require both the GCAA and NGCA to modify there proposals.
Collegians could be hurt by Thompson's LPGA petition
Auburn senior Cydney Clanton and Alexis Thompson were teammates last June, playing for the United States in the Curtis Cup. While surely they continue to have a close bond, they may well have conflicting interests that will need to be addressed in the coming weeks. Let me attempt to explain ...
At just 15, Thompson is still not quite ready to be a full-time member on the LPGA Tour, a point she acknowledges. Yet her considerable golfing talents—she earned more than $300,000 playing in five LPGA events last summer after turning pro in June—are such that she would like to be able to play more than just the six events that non-members are allowed to compete in via sponsor's exemptions in a given year. So, Thompson and her agent, Bobby Kreusler of Blue Giraffe Sports, have filed a petition with LPGA commissioner Mike Whan not to seek a waiver for the tour's age-minimum for membership, but to be allowed twice the number of sponsor's exemptions (12 rather than six).
At first glance, it has upset some current LPGA Tour pros, notably Cristie Kerr and Angela Stanford, who want to protect current LPGA members who might be searching for sponsor's exemptions themselves to get into events. With the LPGA schedule likely to be thin on tournaments again in 2011, sponsor's exemptions are valuable because they're scarce.
Thompson and Kreusler, however, see it as a novel approach to the decade-old question of how to handle teen prodigies and tour membership. Kreusler cites how the women's tennis tour offers a graduate number of playing opportunities for young women, depending on their age, and suggests that it could be a model for how golf can handle the teen prodigy conundrum.
The problem? Well, as I mentioned in today's edition of Golf World Monday, what if you aren't a young phenom, but just a maturing playing who also would like a break at playing pro golf? What if you're, say Clanton, an All-American in college who will turn pro after finishing up her four-year career at Auburn in May? You, too, would like to compete in LPGA events this summer, but will need to get sponsor's exemptions to do so. So Clanton and Thompson will most likely be "fighting" to get exemptions into the same handful of events played in the U.S. this summer.
It's not just Clanton of course. Lizette Salas of USC and Megan McChrystal of LSU, among other seniors looking to turn pro in early summer, will face the same circumstances.
The issue facing Whan is how to weigh the marketability of Thompson playing the LPGA Tour on a more regular basis, with the potential harm her receiving additional exemptions might have on current and future LPGA Tour members. Like my colleague, Bill Fields noted to me while down covering the LPGA Tour Championship this past week, it becomes another classic case of star treatment v. rank-and-file survival.
At just 15, Thompson is still not quite ready to be a full-time member on the LPGA Tour, a point she acknowledges. Yet her considerable golfing talents—she earned more than $300,000 playing in five LPGA events last summer after turning pro in June—are such that she would like to be able to play more than just the six events that non-members are allowed to compete in via sponsor's exemptions in a given year. So, Thompson and her agent, Bobby Kreusler of Blue Giraffe Sports, have filed a petition with LPGA commissioner Mike Whan not to seek a waiver for the tour's age-minimum for membership, but to be allowed twice the number of sponsor's exemptions (12 rather than six).
At first glance, it has upset some current LPGA Tour pros, notably Cristie Kerr and Angela Stanford, who want to protect current LPGA members who might be searching for sponsor's exemptions themselves to get into events. With the LPGA schedule likely to be thin on tournaments again in 2011, sponsor's exemptions are valuable because they're scarce.
Thompson and Kreusler, however, see it as a novel approach to the decade-old question of how to handle teen prodigies and tour membership. Kreusler cites how the women's tennis tour offers a graduate number of playing opportunities for young women, depending on their age, and suggests that it could be a model for how golf can handle the teen prodigy conundrum.
The problem? Well, as I mentioned in today's edition of Golf World Monday, what if you aren't a young phenom, but just a maturing playing who also would like a break at playing pro golf? What if you're, say Clanton, an All-American in college who will turn pro after finishing up her four-year career at Auburn in May? You, too, would like to compete in LPGA events this summer, but will need to get sponsor's exemptions to do so. So Clanton and Thompson will most likely be "fighting" to get exemptions into the same handful of events played in the U.S. this summer.
It's not just Clanton of course. Lizette Salas of USC and Megan McChrystal of LSU, among other seniors looking to turn pro in early summer, will face the same circumstances.
The issue facing Whan is how to weigh the marketability of Thompson playing the LPGA Tour on a more regular basis, with the potential harm her receiving additional exemptions might have on current and future LPGA Tour members. Like my colleague, Bill Fields noted to me while down covering the LPGA Tour Championship this past week, it becomes another classic case of star treatment v. rank-and-file survival.
Recruiting only the start of NCAA changes
Recruiting calendars will be the focus of discussion at both the Golf Coaches Association of America and that National Golf Coaches Association's national conventions, which begin in earnest tomorrow in Las Vegas—as I type I'm about to jump on a plane for Nevada to see what's in store. Hearing and reading reactions from coaches about the issue leading up to the conventions, it's obvious that there will be some lively debate and, I'm guessing, some true concerns on the parts of many about the proposals that will be forwarded for recommendation by the associations.Lets be clear though on at least one thing: the status quo of changing nothing and having no restrictions on recruiting is not an option at this point. The NCAA Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Cabinet wasn't just trying to see how quickly coaches' associations can do paper work when it made the request of these groups for proposals to amend the current recruiting models. The cabinet is indeed going to make changes, whether coaches like it or not. It only behooves the associations of all sports affected, then, to make their own voices heard as to how they would like to see the changes be made. In jumping through the hoops the GCAA and NGCA have in the past several weeks, at least they can feel like they've had a say in the matter (provided of course the NCAA actually listens to their ideas).
Meanwhile my guess is that this is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Changes to recruiting I believe are just the first step in a process that will include reforms in several other areas that potentially will affect golf in a significant ways. Sources involved in the process of drafting proposals for the recruiting calendar have noted their believe that days of competition and seasons of competition are topics that could well be reviewed in the coming years.
As the former president at the University of Washington, new NCAA president Mark Emmert (above) knows full well the financial challenges that face colleges and universities. Don't be foolish, then, to think that bloated athletic department budgets aren't as much a concern as student-athlete well being in how the NCAA proceeds in the future—and that wholesale shifts in how college athletics operate aren't going to be up for discussion.
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