I’ve been asked the question a number of times in the past couple weeks, most recently this morning when I was a guest on Peter Kessler’s radio program “Making the Turn” on XM Radio’s PGA Tour Network: So what do you think of the Hank Haney article in Golf Digest trashing college golf? OK, so it’s not always that blunt, but that’s usually what’s implied, the questioner curious about my take presumably because I cover college golf and also because I work for the Golf Digest Companies.

The short answer to the query is simple: I don’t agree with Haney’s premise that if you want to be one of the best golfers in the world, you should bypass college golf. I take exception to some of the arguments he makes in stating his case, which I’ll go into later.

The more convoluted answer, however, is one that doesn’t seem to be addressed by those who have been critical of Haney’s article. There is a dearth of American golfers in their 20s who have had success on the pro level, particularly on the PGA Tour. The inference with this is that college programs have declined or no longer offer the benefits they once did. While I don’t think that’s true, that doesn’t mean college golf can’t improve in the way it develops players. More on that later too.    

In the tradition of any good English class, lets explore Haney’s prose. The former SMU men’s golf coach contends that “fewer players in their 20s who crack the top echelon will have come out of college programs.” To Haney’s credit, he’s probably right here, but that has more to do with the fact that the development programs in other countries (U.K., Sweden and particularly Australia) have improved exponentially over time, providing outlets to junior golfers around the world to advance their skills to the highest level. As a result, there is increased competition globally to be the best golfer in the world with international players now have the fundamental training platforms at their disposal to get to the top that previously seemed only available in the U.S. To my thinking, that makes college golf an even greater necessity than before. If American kids started skipping college and jumping into the pro ranks, they will not have the benefit of a structured environment college golf provides to grow their game, PLUS they’ll be facing international players who have gone through similarly structured environments in their home countries.

Haney goes on to cite that many of the best young players among the top 15 in the world never went to college. Here he is emphasizing young as much as anything else. To his point, though, look at the entire top 25 in the World Golf Ranking that was released yesterday, only 12 have played some form of college golf in their lives (Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Davis Love III, David Toms, Colin Montgomerie, Chris DiMarco, Stewart Cink).

But is that the only way to define the best golfers in the world? Another way would be to say PGA Tour winners are some of the best golfers in the world. If that’s the case, consider that of the 48 PGA Tour events played last year, 36 were won by men who played college golf. Taking into account multiple winners, of the 36 individuals to win on the PGA Tour last year, 26 played college golf (for list, see below).

Yet another way to define the best golfers in the world is by how many majors they’ve won. If that’s the case, consider that since the 2000 Masters, of the last 28 major championships that have been contested, 21 have been won by men who played college golf. Taking into account multiple winners, of the 15 individuals to win majors since the Masters in 2000, 10 played college golf (for list, see below).

All this doesn’t take away from the fact that Europe has shellacked the U.S. in the Ryder Cup in recent history and that there are only two Americans younger than 30 (Howell, Lucas Glover) in the top 50 on the World ranking. It just means that those aren’t the only two measures by which to judge success, and by looking at other measures, perhaps those who have gone through the college system aren’t fairing so poorly.

Where Haney’s argument also is tough for me to swallow is when he suggests that loyalty to a school and the pressure to shoot the lowest possible scores have coaches and players delaying important swing changes needed before young players turns pro. I clearly disagree with this. There are many instances where players have made the necessary swing changes early in their college careers, sacrificing low scores in the short run for a more consistent swing in the long run. It happened to Howell when he was at Oklahoma State, where he went on to win an NCAA Championship. It happened to Rhys Davies, a senior this spring at East Tennessee State, who has gone on to win eight times and been named a first-team All-American and played for the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team.

Haney goes on to say that the scoring format and playing fields in college golf impede a players progress because a player having a bad round might get in the habit of packing it in rather than battling. This argument, too, is quite specious. I won’t say it never happens, but when it does, the player has to answer to his or her coach and teammates, who won’t be satisfied with the excuse, “Well you guys were all playing well, my score wasn’t going to count anyway.” If you want to stay in the line-up and keep getting playing time, packing it in when you’re having a bad round isn’t the way to do it.

What Haney doesn’t do well enough—and what I think frankly would have helped his case overall—is note the fact there is a substantial difference between college and professional golf, one that can’t be replicated except in the most elite college events, such as the NCAA Championship. In my 10 years covering college golf, I have yet to meet a player, male or female, who has turned pro and hasn’t said that the only way to get truly adjusted to the pro game is to play in pro events. When they do, they learn that the value of each shot is greater, that making a bogey will drop you down the leader board much quicker, that a 72 in a pro event is more like a 75 or 76 in a college tournament. Even for the best college golfers out there, upon turning pro you’re likely to get your head beat in a little as you experience the step up in the level of competition. If this is the case, than it would behoove players to get as much experience in pro tournaments as they can, as early as they can. That to me is the best pitch you can make for a player to skip college or leave early: My game is ready to play against professionals and it’s time for me to start getting beat up so I'll get through the transition more quickly.

But that IS NOT the case for 99.9 percent of the men and women playing college golf right now. For them, the benefits of going to school, having the security of playing for a team rather than facing the cold hard reality of playing for pay on your own, learning how to handle yourself on and off the course, those are the advantages you get by enrolling as a student-athlete. Contrary to Haney’s belief, college golf is very relevant if you want to be the best golfer in the world, but it is incumbent upon coaches and administrators to make sure that remains the case and that college golf continues to provide young men and women an avenue to grow as golfers and individuals.

Rather than complain about folks such as Haney who take shots at college golf, be proactive to make sure his argument never actually becomes the reality. Explore ways to make the college tournament experience better for players (are 36-hole days really the best format?). Explore ways to give players more life skills (consider offering classes on all the things a pro golfer needs to know off the golf course … how to find an apartment, how to open a bank account, etc.). Explore ways to make it obvious that college golf is the best alternative for any junior golfer, regardless of how talented they are.

If you don’t agree with Haney’s words, that’s fine. I don’t either. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn't pay attention to the fact that the man is speaking.

2006 PGA Tour winners (bold names played college golf):
Stuart Appleby, David Toms, Chad Campbell, Tiger Woods, J.B. Holmes, Arron Oberholser, Rory Sabbatini, Kirk Triplett, Geoff Ogilvy, Luke Donald, Rod Pampling, Stephen Ames, Phil Mickelson, Aaron Baddeley, Chris Couch, Jim Furyk, Brett Wetterich, Tim Herron, Jeff Maggert, Carl Pettersson, Vijay Singh, Ben Curtis, J.J. Henry, Trevor Immelman, John Senden, John Rollins, Corey Pavin, Dean Wilson, Will MacKenzie, Eric Axley, D.J. Trahan, Davis Love III, Troy Matteson, Joe Durant, K.J. Choi, Adam Scott.

Major champions since 2000 (bold names played college golf):
Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, David Duval, David Toms, Ernie Els, Rich Beem, Mike Weir, Jim Furyk, Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel, Phil Mickelson, Todd Hamilton, Michael Campbell, Geoff Ogilvy. 

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Stanford—Looking for a reason for the Cardinal’s success in 2006-07? Consider that the team has hit 78.1 percent of its fairways. Also leads the country in par-4 scoring (4.05). Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 25-27

2. Alabama —Stepped up nicely after Stanford and Florida won their opening tournaments of the spring with an impressive victory at this week’s John Hayt Collegiate. Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 25-27

3. Florida —The Gators’ record versus top-25 schools in 2006-07 is an impressive 34-6. Having faced 20 of the other schools in the top 25, Florida has beat all but two (Alabama, Southern California) at least once. Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 25-27

4. Oklahoma State —Defending NCAA champions still might have the deepest team in the men’s game. Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 25-27

5. Georgia —When the Bulldogs finally tee it up this weekend in Puerto Rico, it will have been 117 days since they last played a competitive round. Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 25-27

WOMEN
1. Georgia —The Bulldogs are in the top five in par-3 (3.16), par-4 (4.19) and par-5 (4.92) scoring.  Next event: Lady Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar Resort, Puerto Rico, Feb. 23-25

2. Duke —Only team with two players (Amanda Blumenherst and Jennie Lee) listed in the top five in the Golfstat Cup ranking. Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, The Raven GC, Tucson, Feb. 26-27

3. Arizona State —The Sun Devils lead the country in birdies with 181 thus far in the 2006-07 season.  Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, The Raven GC, Tucson, Feb. 26-27

4. Vanderbilt—After waiting for spring opening, Lady Commodores will play three events in 21 days beginning next Monday. Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, The Raven GC, Tucson, Feb. 26-27

5. Auburn —Redshirt freshman Marisa Milligan and sophomore Mariana Macias will play for the team rather than as individuals for the first time in their college careers in Puerto Rico. Next event: Lady Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar Resort, Puerto Rico, Feb. 23-25

GOLF WORLD COLLEGE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
MEN
Aaron Weston, Colorado State
After posting a closing-round 64 at Sunbrook GC in St. George, Utah, to tie Jacksonville’s Duncan Stewart at nine-under 135, the senior birdied the first playoff hole to claim the title at the Pat HIcks Thunderbird Invitational. It was the first college victory for the Denver native. The 64 was also the second-lowest single round score in school history.

WOMEN
Misun Cho, Pepperdine
The freshman was seven shots off the lead entering the final round of the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge, only to shoot a two-under 69—one of just eight sub-par rounds for the entire event at Palos Verdes (Calif.) GC—and win medalist honors by one stroke with a five-over 218 total.

STAT OF THE WEEK
2
Number of schools that have a winning record versus the Stanford men in the 2006-07 seasons. Can you guess who they are? (Answer below).

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• If ESPN covered college golf the way it does college football, the talking heads would be calling next week’s Puerto Rico Classic the tournament of the century, a colossal showdown of the best teams in the game that will separate. All hyperbole aside, this is the biggest event we have seen so far in the spring if not the entire year, with each of the top five schools in the latest Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll competing and six of the top-10 schools competing at Rio Mar Resort. It will be the first time Stanford and Florida will have played in the same event, and the only time the Cardinal, Gators and Oklahoma State, Alabama and Georgia will all be in the same field until, perhaps, the NCAA Championship.

So just who will “separate” themselves? Considering all but Georgia have played well in their spring openers (the Bulldogs having yet to play), there is no obvious front runner. Oklahoma State has the best one-two punch of all the teams (Pablo Martin and Jonathan Moore), but the Cardinal seems be playing best 1 to 5. The Gators are getting more support than anticipated for Billy Horschel, and Alabama played impressively under difficult weather conditions earlier this week at the John Hayt. If I have to make a prediction, I’m going to go with Oklahoma State simply because I think their All-Americans are playing too solid right now, but don’t be surprised if any of those top five teams makes a run.

• “Now that’s more like it.”

OK, so that wasn’t Texas A&M women’s coach Jeanne Sutherland’s direct quote after the Aggies’ 13-shot victory over Michigan State at the Central District Invitational earlier this week. Still, it’s got to be what she and the rest of the A&M faithful have to be thinking after a fall season in which the defending Big 12 Conference champions played in four events and did no better than a T-5 in any of them. A T-6 at the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge earlier this month didn’t seem to indicate the team, ranked 24th in the latest Golf World coaches' poll, did much during the winter break to turn things around, but with four players in the top-20 at River Wilderness CC in Parrish, Fla.,—including individual winner Ashley Knoll—Sutherland could finally smile again.

“It was a really great tournament for the girls,” coach actually did say afterward. “From a coaching standpoint, I thought they did a good job of focusing on every shot. They had fun and they were into their shots. We’ve had two very solid tournaments this spring and that’s a positive.”

There’s too much talent in College Station not to have better results than two top-fives in six starts. With the Aggies next playing at home in the "Mo"Morial, look for some momentum to build and the squad to once again be mentioned as a potential dark horse for the national championship.

TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
MEN
Puerto Rico Invitational
Feb. 25-27
Westin Rio Mar GC (River Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (Par 72, 6,945 yards)
Field: Alabama, Clemson, Duke, East Tennessee State, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kent State, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, N.C. State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Stanford, Texas, Virginia Tech
Defending champion: Georgia (21-under 843); Chris Kirk, Georgia (11-under 205)
Skinny: See above.

WOMEN
Arizona Wildcat Invitational
   (for live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Feb. 26-27
Arizona National GC, Tucson (Par 71, 6,238 yards)
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, California, Duke, New Mexico, Pepperdine, Stanford, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington.
Defending champion: Arizona State (12-under 840); Jacqui Concolino, Vanderbilt (nine-under 204)
Skinny: The field is stacked with top squads, including eight of the top 10 teams in the most recent Golf World coaches’ poll, and 12 top 25 squads out of 15 competing. The host Wildcats have won the tournament seven times since 1983, with their most recent victory being in 2001.

Stat of the week answer
Duke, who Stanford finished second to at the Fighting Illini Invitational in September, and Wisconsin, who finished third to Stanford’s fifth at the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge in October.

A couple weeks worth of stories worth a look in case you missed them:

• Two higher profile tournaments concluded yesterday, with the Alabama men winning the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational at Sawgrass CC in Florida, their fourth victory of the 2006-07 season (the counter punch many were looking for after wins from Florida and Stanford to start their spring schedules); and the Texas A&M women grabbing their first win of the year with a 13-shot victory at the Central District Invitational in Florida. The Aggies one-under 874 broke a school record for best 54-hole score. Individually, UCLA junior Kevin Chappell was medalist in the men's event and Texas A&M senior Ashley Knoll won by six shots in the women's tournament, her third victory of the season.

• A lot of programs look for creative ways to workout during the offseason. A few weeks ago in Golf World I profiled the Columbus State men's team and its coach, Mark Immelman, who has his team play indoor soccer to help build chemistry and get the players back in shape. This piece from the Waco Tribune talks about how the Baylor women's golf team started shooting hoops ... with the nationally ranked Bears' women's basketball team.

• A couple of items out of Raleigh, N.C., and the N.C. State golf program. A $3 million donation from 1959 alumnus Lonnie C. Poole and his wife, Carol Lynn Poole, will help the school start construction this summer on its new Arnold Palmer-designed course on its Centennial Campus. The goal is to have the Lonnie Poole Golf Course open by 2009.

• Additionally, the Courtyard by Marriott Intercollegiate event that the Wolfpack men's team helps host in April is moving from MacGregor Downs to Devils Ridge GC for a year due to work being done on the former course.

• One of the golf writers I have a lot of respect for is Stan Awtrey of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and he recently wrote an interesting piece about all the talented professional golfers that seem to be coming out of the UNLV men's golf program.

• For your Q&A pleasure, here is a sitdown at the Michigan State website with senior Mandi McConnell, the reigning Michigan amateur player of the year.

• Some news on the Golf World college coverage front as well. Today we reveal the first men's college coaches poll for the spring, but it comes new and improved. Golf World has partnered with the Golf Coaches' Association of America, merging our two coaches' polls into one co-branded product (a similar partnership has been reached with the National Golf Coaches Association on the women's side). With the help of Nike Golf, a new sponsor of the men's polls, we will now have rankings for not only Division I, but also Division II, III and NAIA schools. You can visit the new Golf World/Nike Golf men's coaches' polls at www.golfworld.com/menspoll. When you do, you will also see there's a new No. 1 team in the country.

• I'm also going to throw out this story that appeared in the March issue of Golf World's sister publication, Golf Digest. It's a column for Hank Haney that takes a critical look at college golf as a training ground for the pro tours. I promise more on this in the next few days as I've already gotten a lot of opinions on it (mostly disagreeing with Haney's premise).

As she teed it up with teammates in a qualifier last Monday for the opening tournament of the spring, University of Virginia senior Leah Wigger had an unusual swing thought rattling inside her head. The first player to sign with the Cavalier women’s golf team was keeping a secret entrusted to her the previous weekend by the woman who brought her to Virginia in the first place, Jan Mann, one that wouldn’t be made public until day’s end.

“It was kind of awkward,” Wigger said. “Going through practice it was like ‘Geez, these girls are going to get some bad news in a couple hours.’ ”

Indeed, it’s not every day your coach, the woman who had built the program literally from scratch and turned it into a national power in just 3½ years, announces she is retiring at the end of the season.

When Mann first asked Wigger to meet her over coffee and hot chocolate at a Panera Bread shop on campus, the two-time All-American was nervous she might be in some sort of trouble. It’s not about you, Mann told her, so don’t worry about it, at which point Wigger got even more nervous.

If it’s not about her, what could it be?

“I was shocked, really,” said Wigger upon hearing the news. “I always expected her at least to be there a year or two after the [seniors] had left.”

Multiple Wigger’s reaction by nine, and you can imagine the emotional scene that took place when Mann told the rest of the team inside the clubhouse at Birdwood GC after the Monday qualifier. “Are you serious?” blurted one stunned player, between sniffles and tear drops.

“It was,” said Mann, weepy-eyed herself, “one of the hardest thing I had to do.”

While numerous coaches have their exit strategies written out for them on pink slips, Mann had the luxury of making her decision on her own terms. Since arriving in Charlottesville, Va., in the summer of 2002 after eight years coaching the women’s team at UNC-Wilmington, she had exceeded all expectations. In 2005 she took her team to the NCAA Championship in just its second year of existence. Led by its first senior class (Wigger, Ashley Mayo, Kira Mayo, Lindsay Robinson, Sally Shonk and Rachel Smith), this season’s squad captured the school’s first team title—last October’s Landfall Tradition in Wilmington—and ranks No. 8 in the most recent Golf World coaches’ poll as its heads to Tucson for the Arizona Wildcat Invitational later this month.

“I truly feel like out team next year is going to be our strongest ever,” Mann noted. “It’s just there have been a lot of things that have told me that this was the right time.”

Actually, it was four things in particular—her grandsons, living in North Carolina, each at an age where missed moments are lost forever—that ultimately swayed Mann to finally take up a long standing offer from a family friend. Like her husband, John, Mann will join Brax Ltd. back in Wilmington, N.C., to work with universities and athletic departments on fund raising beginning later this year.

Mann’s thinking was influenced by past experiences where the increasingly hectic lifestyle of coaching college golf at the Division I level caused her to miss opportunities to spend time with her father, whom she was particularly close to before his death in a sailing accident two years ago. “Even before I was at Virginia, he would call me up and say, ‘I’m going to do this, come with me,’ or ‘I’m getting ready to go do this, come join me,’” Mann recalled. “And I would often times, more than I’d like to admit, say ‘Dad, I can’t.’ I don’t want to have that regret with my family.”

So it is that she began making plans for the future during the winter break, approaching Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage last month and choosing to make the official announcement of her pending departure now, prior to the start of the spring schedule, so her replacement could be found early and the impact of her departure could be absorbed more easily by the current players.

Intended or otherwise, Mann’s move—and more importantly her motive—sent a message to the college golf world. “It’s been wonderful that coaches have called me and e-mailed me, congratulating me,” Mann said. “Everybody understands and wished they could spend more time with their family in coaching. I don’t encourage them all to quit, but I do encourage them to spend more time with their family.”

Recently, discussions began in earnest among men’s and women’s coaches as to whether potential limitations on summer recruiting, in part to help reverse the continued increase in the number of days they are on the road during the off-season, are needed. As the debate continues, it won’t go unnoticed that one of the game’s best and brightest coaches, a woman who was the head of the NCAA Division I women’s golf committee and has achieved much in her profession, has registered her opinion with her actions.

That same point isn’t lost on her players, either. “It will help us keep things in perspective,” Wigger says. “If we have a bad round, we’ll be like, ‘you know, it doesn’t matter because there are bigger things in life than a bad round of golf.’ You know family is more important.”

Meanwhile, Mann’s departure will be a rallying point for the Cavaliers this spring. “We have something to play for,” Wigger said. “Not to put pressure on ourselves, but it will be more meaningful. We’re going to try to make every moment on the golf course and off the golf course, any time together, a very special moment.”

For as special a person as Mann is, and as noteworthy a stand as she's taken, you would expect nothing any less.

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Stanford—Claimed win No. 4 at University of Hawaii-Hilo Invitational, beating Oklahoma on a tiebreaker. Four players post top-10s. Just how good is the Cardinal? Freshman standout Jordan Cox can’t play his way into the line-up. Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 25-27

2. Oklahoma State —The good news: Jonathan Moore returned to form with a victory at the U-H Hilo Invitational, posting a nifty little 62 in the second round and a 15-under 195 total. The better news: Trent Leon posted a top-five finish at Waikoloa Village, his best finish this season. Get re-match with Stanford in less than two weeks. Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 25-27

3. Florida —Manuel Villegas has a ways to catch brother, Camilo, in the Gator record book, but his first college victory at last week’s Gator Invitational sure was sweet. Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 25-27

4. Alabama —Task of staying atop the rankings wasn’t made any easier by the early spring success of Stanford, Oklahoma State and Florida. Time for the Crimson Tide to show just how hungry they are. Next event: John Hayt Collegiate, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra, Fla., Feb. 18-20

5. UCLA—Do you hear that Bruins? It’s the sound of Georgia nipping on your heels. Next event: John Hayt Collegiate, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra, Fla., Feb. 18-20

WOMEN
1. Georgia—Expected high temperature Thursday in Athens, Ga.: 47 degrees. Expected high in San Juan, P.R.: 85 degrees. So who’s ready to finally get the spring season rolling? Next event: Lady Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar Resort, Puerto Rico, Feb. 23-25

2. Duke—Entering her final college semester, senior Anna Grzebien needs to forget about the so-so spring performances from last year and recall how she closed out her sophomore season (2nd at ACC; 1st at East Regional; 1st at NCAAs)  Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, The Raven GC, Tucson, Feb. 26-27

3. Arizona State—Good start to the spring with a second-place finish at the Northrup Grumman. And it would have been four shots closer if not for two-shot penalties on Anna Nordqvist and Liisa Kelo after the two mistaken would up giving advice to each other during the second round. Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, The Raven GC, Tucson, Feb. 26-27

4. Vanderbilt—The Lady Commodores have the best final-round scoring average—73.35—of any team in the country. Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, The Raven GC, Tucson, Feb. 26-27

5. Auburn—Do you hear that Tigers? It’s the sound of Pepperdine crashing on your shore. Next event: Lady Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar Resort, Puerto Rico, Feb. 23-25

STAT OF THE WEEK
42
Number of players, out of a field of 94, that broke par for 54 holes at the University of Hawaii-Hilo Invitational at Waikoloa Village GC

STAT OF THE WEEK, PART II
14
Number of rounds of 65 or better posted during the tournament, shot by 12 different players.
62—Jonathan Moore, Oklahoma State; Derek Sipe, Oregon*
63—Steele DeWald, Arizona State
64—Rob Grube, Stanford; Joseph Bramlett, Stanford; Cameron Tringale, Georgia Tech, (twice); Travis Woolf, TCU**
65—Moore, Oklahoma State; Roberto Castro, Georgia Tech; Alex Prugh, Washington; Ryan Posey, Oklahoma State; Jon McLean, TCU; Jesse Speirs, TCU
*Broke school record
**Tied school record while playing in his first tournament

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• What’s the harm in requiring teams have a .500 record against other Division I schools to be considered for at-large berths into the NCAA regionals? We’re about to find out as the NCAA Championships/Competition Cabinet approved last week the “.500 Rule” for use in the 2007-08 men’s season. In a poll taken at last month’s Golf Coaches Association of America convention, more than 70 percent of members agreed with the proposal, but those in the minority were coaches at primarily top 50 programs who suggested it would cause them to add tournaments to their schedule with “weaker” fields to secure a winning record. (Conversely, lower-ranked schools welcome the opportunity they say “finally play against the big boys.”)  “This will have a trickle-down effect,” says a coach at a perennial top-10 school. “To hold an event, you need a sponsor. To get the sponsor, you need a quality field. Now I’m going to struggle to get the field because teams will be afraid to play in events with too many ranked teams. It’s going to drive away sponsors.” We’ll find out soon enough; many schools already have started scheduling for next season.

• With the Pepperdine women playing only three tournaments this past fall, it was hard to get a read on just how good the 10th-ranked Waves might be. Yet after their nine-shot victory over Arizona State last Wednesday at the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge (their third time taking the team title at Palos Verdes ), it’s a safe bet to say that the folks in Malibu are for real. Fans of the program have been touting freshman Misun Cho, a South Korean who lived in Australia and dominated the amateur scene there the past few years, and she delivered with her first individual college title. Cho started the final round in 10th place, seven shots back of teammate Jayvie Agojo, only to shoot a two-under 69 to win by one.

TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH

MEN
John Burns Intercollegiate
Feb. 21-23
Leilehua GC, Wahiawa, Hawaii (Par 72, 6,917 yards)
Field: Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, BYU, California, UC-Santa Barbara, Colorado State, Denver,Fresno State, Hawaii, Hawaii-Hilo, Long Beach State, Nevada, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego, San Diego State, San Jose State, SMU, UTEP, Texas A&M, Utah
Defending champion: SMU (41-over 823); Brandon DeStefano, SMU (14-under 202)
Skinny: DeStefano beat Auburn's Jay Moseley on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff last year to claim the title.

WOMEN
Central District Invitational
  (for live results, click here for Golfstat)
Feb. 19-20
River Wilderness CC, Parrish, Fla. (Par 72, 6,099 yards)
Field: Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulsa
Defending champion: Baylor (32-over 896); Lacey Jones, SMU (one-under 215)
Skinny: With winter weather blanketing the midwest, several of the regions top squads migrate to the south for this seven-year-old spring event hosted by Michigan State. While northern schools have struggled of late to claim the team title (LSU, 2004; Missouri, 2005; Baylor, 2006), medalist honors have gone to players from Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State in four of six playings.

Having built the Virginia women’s golf team into a nationally ranked program in just 3½ years of existence, Cavaliers coach Jan Mann announced today she would be retiring from coaching at the end of the current 2006-07 season.

“Each year the program has grown in strength and talent,” Mann said in a press release. “I expect that next year the team will continue to improve with the very talented returning players and the addition of our strongest recruiting class ever. While it will be extremely difficult to leave such a great team, I am certain I am leaving the program in excellent shape. I love my team and I love coaching, but I have decided to pursue an opportunity in private business that will allow me to spend more time with my family and our grandchildren.”

Mann made the decision to retire last week and spent the weekend informing players and recruits of her future. The timing is such that she will leave the school just as her first recruiting class at Virginia is set to graduate this spring.

Mann took the job in Charlottesville, Va., in June 2002 after a eight-year stint as women’s coach at UNC-Wilmington, and proceeded to exceed all expectations by having the Cavaliers advance into the 2005 NCAA Championship in just their second year of competition. Last season, Virginia reached the NCAA Regionals, but missed out on a spot in the national championship after losing a sudden-death playoff.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that Jan Mann is UVa Women's Golf,” said Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage. “Coach Mann has touched every part of this program from the time of its inception through the upcoming season. She has been a marvelous coach and mentor to her students.”

The Cavaliers currently are ranked eighth in the country, having claimed their first-ever team title last October when they won the Landfall Tradition. They open the spring season Feb. 26 at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational. 

School officials say a search for Mann’s successor will begin immediately.

Just got an e-mail from Mike Hermann, chairman of the NCAA Division I men's golf committee, confirming that the proposal requiring teams to have a .500 or better winning percentage versus Division I opponents in order to be considered for at-large selection into the NCAA regionals was approved this week at a meeting of the NCAA Championships and Competition Cabinet. The rule is to go into effect in the 2007-08 season.

As previously discussed here, the change in the criteria is not without its critics, particular many coaches at higher profile programs who suggest this will force them to alter their schedules and play in events with "weaker" fields in order to assure a .500 record by year's end. Still, as recently as last month when a straw vote was taken again at the Golf Coaches Association of America's annual meeting, and 68 out of 94 coaches said they were in favor of the measure, a majority of coaches think this is a reasonable requirement for playing in the post-season, particular considering there will be not regional allocations used to fill out the post-season fields next season as well.

More on this to come when I get some comments from coaches.

He has just one semester left to play in college golf, but on a cold February morning in Johnson City, Tenn., Rhys Davies really isn’t thinking about that right now. The focus is on the here and now, the next event on the East Tennessee State schedule, the Puerto Rico Invitational in two weeks. After that, it will turn to the Seminole Intercollegiate, set for the first week of March.

One tournament at a time. That’s the only way the 21-year-old Buccaneer senior knows how to operate. It’s also the mindset that has established the competitor teammates have dubbed “The Package” for his combination of talent and charisma as one of the best players in collegiate golf, a winner of eight tournaments in 3½ years after last fall’s victory at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at the Ridges and a candidate for national player-of-the-year honors this season with a 69.4 stroke average.

“I’ve had a great time here and really enjoyed playing on the team with coach [Fred] Warren and the other boys,” Davies says. “In that respect it will be a little sad to leave. But there’s still a lot to play for between now and then.”

Indeed, having earned first-team All-American honors the past two seasons and cemented his place as the best golfer in school history, Davies has the opportunity this spring to turn a great college career (71.28 career average; 25 top-10 finishes) into a historic one, particularly if he were to make a run at the NCAA title come June.

Again, though, that’s getting ahead of himself.

Interestingly enough, if not for a broken thumb Davies suffered before a junior golf tournament in his native Wales, the college golf world might never have heard of the well-spoken, 6-foot-1 lad with the wavy brown locks. As a teenager, Davies was just as proficient on a cricket pitch as he was on the links, an impressive statement when you consider he won the British Boys golf championship over Pablo Martin in 2003.

“I just sort of had a gut feeling,” Davies explains on why he ultimately chose golf. That and the fact that the way he actually broke his thumb was during a cricket practice. So it was that he came to the U.S. on a golf scholarship, picking East Tennessee over Oklahoma State.

Upon arriving stateside, the reputation that proceeded Davies emphasized a skill seemingly rare in young golfers: an impeccable short game. Of course, you need to have some talent with your wedge and putter when you struggle as he did hitting fairways and greens.

“He was an inconsistent ball striker. I think he’ll even admit that,” Warren says. “But he’s not afraid of hard work. He’s a wonderful competitor and he set out to improve his game tee to green.”

In Davies’ mind, there wasn’t really much of an alternative. “I had to improve in order to give myself chances to make birdies,” he says, explaining his dogged pursuit of grooving a repeatable swing he wouldn’t have to fight on a regular basis. “I was always capable of holing putts. But I wasn’t always capable of knocking it close and giving myself a chance.”

While refining his game physically through repeated visits to the driving range, Davies had to do the same mentally as he adapted to American-style courses and the depth of competition among the college ranks. The turning point in Davies’ maturation came in the summer 2004 when he was selected to play in the Palmer Cup, an annual team competition between collegians from the U.S. and Europe, after a freshman season that had both ups and downs. Competing against some of the top amateurs in the world, Davies won both his singles’ matches and posted a 3-1 record at Ballybunion GC while the Europeans sprinted off with the overall victory.

“When I went to that event,” Davies says, “and competed against those boys and had a lot of success against them, I think that definitely gave me a boost to say ‘I’m good enough to play at this level,’ and I progressed from there.”

After Davies posted scoring averages of 70.5 and 70.78 his sophomore and junior seasons, respectively, some wondered if he would be back for his senior season,  considering the track record of other Europeans who have excelled in college golf leaving early. Yet the thought really didn’t enter his mind, in part because of a desire to play on the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team this September at Northern Ireland’s Royal County Down (he was a member of the losing GB&I side at Chicago GC in 2005).

In part, too, Davies very much enjoyed college life and as a B student on track to graduate with a business management degree this spring, the challenges of balancing athletics and academics motivated him. “The professional game will be around a long time,” he says. “I’m still only 21. I am eager to get out there and show what I can do, but at the same time I’m patient enough to realize there is plenty of time ahead of me.”

Warren believes for as good a golfer as Davies is, he’s a better person. It’s why the nickname “The Package” is so fitting.

“I spoke at a Boy Scout banquet once and was talking [to the team] about what I was going to say,” Warren recalls. “And he helped me with the opening lines. He said ‘Coach, this is a good one. Here’s how I would do this.’ And I used the line. I thought this guy is sharp.”

Warren, too, appreciates the impact Davies has had on the ETSU program, one that was a perennial top-15 school in the 1990s but was starting to lose its way until the Welshman arrived. “We’ve got a solid team, and I think we can surprise a lot of people this spring,” notes Davies, the inflection in his voice providing the lone hint of melancholy about any sand slipping through the college hour glass.

There will be time, though, for reflection on a college career well played. For now, there’s still a tournament to focus on. And it's time for Rhys Davies to go back to work.

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Alabama —Seventh-place finish to close the fall in Hawaii was lone hiccup for the Crimson Tide thus far in 2006-07. With the target now firmly planted on their backs, it’s time now, to see if they’re truly for real. Next event: John Hayt Collegiate, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra, Fla.

2. Oklahoma State—Pablo Martin and Jonathan Moore are back in the lineup for the entire spring, giving Cowboys arguably the best one-two punch in the country. Next event: U-H Hilo Invitational, Waikoloa Village GC, Waikoloa, Hawaii (in progress)

3. Stanford —Cardinal coach Conrad Ray can only hope the winter break won’t stall the momentum—and confidence—his squad gained with three wins and five top-fives in the fall. Next event: U-H Hilo Invitational, Waikoloa Village GC, Waikoloa, Hawaii (in progress)

4. Florida—Billy Horschel+confidence+home course advantage at Gator Invitational=strong start to the spring for the Gators. Next start: SunTrust Gator Invitational, U. of Florida GC, Gainesville, Fla.

5. UCLA—Having spent the fall getting his entire squad starts, it’s now up to Bruins coach O.D. Vincent to narrow down his lineup and build continuity. Next event: John Hayt Collegiate, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra, Fla.

WOMEN
1. Georgia—Only question mark entering the fall is how will Bulldog coach Todd McCorkle do after hip surgery last month? Next event: Lady Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar Resort, Puerto Rico.

2. Duke —The fact that this is the first time in a few years that the Blue Devils don’t start the spring as the hands down favorite might prove beneficial for coach Dan Brooks in motivating his players. Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, The Raven GC, Tucson

3. Arizona State —Sun Devils coach Melissa Luellen has her deepest squad since taking over the program in the fall of 2002. Next event: Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

4. Vanderbilt —The Lady Commodores surprised many in the fall and aren’t too happy about the whispers that their win over Duke at the Lady Tar Heel Invitational should be dismissed because of the Blue Devils’ scorecard mishap. Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, The Raven GC, Tucson

5. Auburn—It’s time for senior Nicole Hage to step up and carry the Tigers, a la Maria Martinez a year ago. Says here she’s up to the task. Next event: Lady Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar Resort, Puerto Rico

STAT OF THE WEEK
241
Number of days between Arizona fifth-year senior Brian Prouty’s last two college rounds—the 2006 NCAA Championship, final round and the 2007 Ping-Arizona Intercollegiate, first round

STAT OF THE WEEK, PART II
15
Decrease in the number of strokes taken in those two round. Prouty shot a 77 in his final 18 at the Crosswater Course at Sunriver (Ore.) Resort on June 3, 2006 and then shot a 62 at Arizona National GC Jan. 29, 2007, a tournament record. Prouty followed up last week’s play with a 67-70 to claim medalist honors with a 14-under 199, four shots better than New Mexico senior Charlie Beljan and East Tennessee State freshman Seamus Power.

Between last year’s NCAAs and last week’s victory, Prouty injured his left wrist at last summer’s Arizona Amateur and required surgery to address cartilage damage that kept him out of the lineup the entire fall. It wasn’t until mid-December that doctors cleared him to practice putting and not until a few weeks before the Tucson event that he could take full swings.

“I knew I was hitting the ball well, and I felt good about my game,” Prouty told the Tucson Citizen. “But the first time back? It was a big surprise.”

“He worked hard, he deserved this,” said Arizona coach Rick LaRose. “He worked hard through his rehab when others might have said, ‘ah, lets see what happens.’ ”

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• The team currently ranks 15th in the Golf World college coaches' poll and is coming off a seventh-place finish at the Ping-Arizona intercollegiate. Yet after this week's UH-Hilo Intercollegiate, the Arizona State men's team plays six more tournaments between now and NCAA regionals and yet will only have to travel more than 250 miles two more times (the Oregon Duck Invitational in March and the Pac-10 Championship in April, both at Eugene (Ore.) CC). Compare this to fellow Pac-10 rivals UCLA (the gold team makes two cross-country trips and has no events in California), Stanford (one to Puerto Rico and only one within 280 miles) and USC (two cross-country and only one within 360 miles). Does this mean the Sun Devils will be more rested come the postseason and have a better shot at the NCAA Championship? I'm not sure I'm ready to go that far. Still, less travel can't hurt a team in terms of creating fewer disruptions and leading to fewer headaches.

• A four-shot victory over BYU at the Ping-Arizona Intercollegiate gave the 13th-ranked UNLV men's team its first team title in the 2006-07 season. More importantly, it should give other top Division I teams cause for concern. While not having a "big name" player to anchor the Rebels lineup, a la Ryan Moore and Andres Gonzales, UNLV's roster obviously runs deep. C.J. Gatto and Jarred Texter posted top-10s in Tucson to lead the way. Meanwhile, last year's impressive freshman Seung-Su Han wasn't in the line-up, continuing a disappointing sophomore campaign for the South Korea native. If Han starts clicking, considering the strength of the rest of the team, you're looking at a great dark horse come NCAA Championship time in June.

• To address a cyst on his L4/L5 vertebre that had caused him pain in his leg for nearly two years now, East Tennessee men's coach Fred Warren thought he was going to need surgery that required a three- to five-day stay in the hospital, wearing a back brace for months and restrict travel for up to four weeks. Instead, the GCAA Hall of Fame coach underwent successful microsurgery outside Knoxville this week that was an outpatient procedure requiring only a few days of rest. Look for him to accompany his 16th-ranked team to Puerto Rico in two weeks.

TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH

MEN
SunTrust Gator Invitational
    (for live results, click here for Golfstat)
Feb. 10-11
University of Florida GC, Gainesville, Fla. (Par 70, 6,701 yards)
Field: Alabama-Birmingham, Central Florida, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Kentucky, LSU, North Florida, Ohio State, Purdue, Tulsa, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Florida (15-over 855); Sam Korbe, Tulsa (even-par 210)
Skinny: After an impressive fall season that included one win and five top-five finishes in five events, the No. 2 ranked Gators are looking to pick up where they left off as they open the spring season. Given their history in their home event, chances are quite good they’ll play the part of poor hosts; in 20 of the tournament’s first 29 years, Florida has been the victory, including a six-shot triumph over Tulsa a year ago. Only seven Gators have won individually after then Florida senior Brett Stegmaier fell to Tulsa’s Sam Korbe in a playoff in 2006. Past champions include Paul Azinger (Florida State, 1981), David Toms (LSU, 1989), Chris DiMarco (Florida, 1990) and Chris Couch (Florida, 1994, 1995).

WOMEN
Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge
    (for live results, click here for Golfstat)
Feb. 12-14
Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (Par 71, 5,912 yards)
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Florida, Florida  State, Kent State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Ohio State. Pepperdine, Stanford, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Arizona State (40-over 852); Irene Cho, USC (one-over 14)
Skinny: It’s a cruel trick Palos Verdes plays on women’s collegiate teams when they arrive at the course just outside Los Angeles. While players are still taking their games out of winter hiberation, the layout traditionally has some of the most challenging (read: fast) greens they will face. “It reminds you of a U.S. Open-style course,” said Ohio State women’s coach Therese Hession, whose school has hosted the event since its 1996 inception. “You can’t overpower it. You’ve got to be patient and smart.” Again the field has several highly ranked squads (13 of the 15 schools are in Golf World’s top 25) including No. 3 Arizona State, No. 7 UCLA and No. 10 Pepperdine. A year ago, the Sun Devils used their one-shot win over USC in this spring opener to kick start an impressive spring season that saw then jump from seventh to second in the polls. Already ranked No. 2 entering spring of 2007, a victory could be enough to take the top spot away from Georgia.

The men's Division I season gets rolling in earnest starting today with the 17th University of Hawaii at Hilo Intercollegiate at Waikoloa Resort GC on the Big Island, then with the 30th SunTrust Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., this weekend (live scoring for the latter can be found at golfstat.com). Meanwhile, a very wet Baja Invitational in Mexico kicked off the women's D-I calendar with Oregon winning by three shots over Louisville in a rain-shortened 36-hole event.

Here are a few more news tidbits for the interested:

• In addition to the Ducks winning the team title in Mexico, Oregon senior Kim McCready won her first college tournament with a three-over 145 total, five strokes better than Louisville's Adrienne White and Birmingham Southern's Jordan Hardy. "I'm really ecstatic for Kim," Oregon women's coach Shannon Rouillard said. "She's had a lot of challenges and obstacles returning from some back injuries that slowed her last spring. I am really excited to see her come through today. She's been playing really well, and it was a continuation from a great fall season finale at Stanford (last October)."

• A lot of school websites provide fun features on college players. Here is a recent Q&A at the Auburn women's website with senior Nicole Hage.

• Also on the site is an update on construction of a new practice facility for the men's and women's teams. According to men's coach Mike Griffin, the teaching center is on schedule to open next October.  As he joked in an e-mail to me, "For the first time in 34 years of coaching, I am going to have my own parking place."

• Here is a article that ran in Monday's Winston-Salem Journal about the Wake Forest women's golf team and how it succeeds nationally despite being located so close to Duke.
  

• Here's a link to the results of last week's Jones Cup Invitational, an amateur event held at Frederica GC in Sea Island, Ga. Vanderbilt senior Luke List beat Kansas senior Gary Woodland in a one-hole playoff after shooting a final-round 66 for a 10-under 206 total. Interestingly, after the loss, Woodland than had to jump on an airplane to join his teammates as they begin the season at the Big Island event in Hawaii.

• Congrats to Illinois men's coach Mike Small, who recently earned the the PGA of America's PGA Professional Player of the Year award for 2006. Small made the cut in five of nine PGA Tour events, won the Illinois Open and PGA titles for a second straight year and finished fourth at the PGA Professional National Championship.