2006-07 Season Preview
9/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 21, 2006
Playing experience is the backbone of the 2006-07 Michigan State men's golf team, as eight players and six letterwinners return from last year's squad, while three players remain from the Spartans' 2005 Big Ten Championship team.
At a glance, the two seniors and three juniors will be the foundation of the team, but all told, three sophomores return after playing in a combined 24 tournaments last season. Add only one incoming freshman to the nine-man roster, and the Spartan lineup is stacked with playing experience from top to bottom.
"Actual tournament experience is what creates progress," said eighth-year head coach Mark Hankins. "The more opportunities you give a collegiate player, the faster they learn how to compete and feel comfortable at this level."
Last season, the Spartans graduated Zac Zedrick, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time captain. Despite the loss, MSU retains the leadership of senior Matt Harmon (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and junior Ryan Brehm (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) - a pair that currently own the two lowest career scoring averages in program history.
"Ryan and Matt can play with anybody in the country," Hankins said. "They are both confident and disciplined players, so they will continue to evolve and progress."
Brehm finished his sophomore campaign with a team-low 73.30 scoring average and two top-five finishes, and qualified individually for NCAA Regionals. The 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year carded a 64 in the first round of the Big Ten Championship, setting the program's 18-hole scoring record, en route to his second straight runner-up finish at the conference tournament. He garnered first-team All-Big Ten, All-Big Ten Tournament Team, All-Midwest Region and Academic All-Big Ten awards last season.
"Ryan continues to gain confidence," Hankins noted. "He struggled early in the spring but pulled through for his team when they needed it most. He played best when the pressure was on and finished the season strong."
Harmon finished last season with a 73.62 scoring average and three top-five finishes, including his first individual title at the EZ-GO Schenkel Invitational. Harmon led wire-to-wire and won by two strokes with a 9-under-par 207 total, the lowest 54-hole score of his career, and fourth-lowest in program history. The team co-captain also captured second-team All-Big Ten accolades as well as Academic All-Big Ten recognition.
"Matt had an up and down year," Hankins commented. "His stroke average was similar to his sophomore season, but I'm sure there are a few tournaments that he would like to have back. He is a great competitor, has competed all over the country this summer, and is ready to play well this season."
Harmon and Brehm may be the clear-cut leaders of the team, but because of the playing experience and competitive nature of this year's team, each player will be motivated to assume a leadership role.
"Each player has individual aspirations," Hankins said. "They know my system and know what it takes to contribute to our team success."
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As they did last season, the tournament roster spots are likely to change on a weekly basis. Hankins sees this as a strength more than anything else, as it ensures healthy competition among his players throughout the season. All nine players have a chance to see playing time, as eight return with experience of at least two tournaments each last year.
"Comfort with competition helps us perform to our ability at tournaments and that's all I can ask," Hankins said.
Sophomores Steve Cuzzort (Grosse Ile, Mich.), Grant Tungate (East Lansing, Mich.) and Randy Hutchison (Traverse City, Mich.) each made eight tournament appearances last season, making immediate contributions as freshmen.
Cuzzort held a 76.24 scoring average and played in all six spring tournaments, while Tungate held the trio's lowest scoring average (75.32) and was the lowest Spartan at the General Jim Hackler Invitational. Hutchison carried a 75.64 scoring average and posted a pair of top-20 finishes, including a fifth-place finish at the Landfall Tradition.
"I think Steve, Grant and Randy gained confidence from playing in their first full season at Michigan State," Hankins said. "They all have a better grasp of the schedule, time constraints and level of focus needed to win championships."
Senior Mitch Pierce (Fenton, Mich.) and juniors Nathan Gunthorpe (Ovid, Mich.) and Brandon Cigna (Novi, Mich.) are the final three players returning to the lineup in 2006-07. Along with Harmon and Brehm, Pierce is the third player remaining from MSU's Big Ten Championship two years ago. Pierce played in two tournaments last season and was one of six Spartans named to the Academic All-Big Ten team. This summer, Pierce advanced to the round of 16 at the 95th Michigan Amateur Championship and shot a personal competitive best 64 at the Michigan Open Championship.
Gunthorpe competed in seven events in 2006. He finished with a 75.48 scoring average and posted a 16th-place finish at the season-opening Topy Cup in Japan. This summer, Gunthorpe qualified for the 106th U.S. Amateur and finished 21st at the 85th GAM Championship.
Cigna finished with a 78.00 scoring average in four events last season, and posted his second career top-20 finish at the Topy Cup. This summer, Cigna was a semi-finalist at the 95th Michigan Amateur Championship.
With eight players returning with playing experience, freshman Jack Newman (Des Moines, Iowa) will have to play well to enter the Spartan starting rotation. Newman was named the 2005 4A Iowa High School Golfer of the Year, capturing the 4A State Golf Title by four strokes. He holds the Des Moines Hoover High School 9-hole and 18-hole scoring records, and did not finish lower than second place in any high school tournament as a senior.
"I expect Jack to be very prepared to compete for the first tournament," Hankins said. "He's a mature and experienced freshman and we are excited to have him at MSU."
Michigan State once again boasts a highly competitive and nationally-ranked schedule. The 12-tournament schedule features six return visits and six tournaments hosted by opposing Big Ten teams, promising head-to-head district match-ups, and competition within the Midwest Region.
"We had a schedule that challenged us last year," Hankins said. "The growing-up process happened, it just happened a little late. I like the flow of this year's schedule, but the formula has never changed at MSU. We play in the best tournaments in the country to prepare ourselves for the NCAA Tournament."
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Less than a week later, the Spartans will travel north to make their first appearance at Minnesota's Gopher Invitational (Sept. 16-17). The field boasts top teams from the Midwest, including the host Golden Gophers, who finished third at the 2006 NCAA Championship.
Next on the schedule is another first-time visit - the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate (Sept. 25-26) in Birmingham, Ala. The tournament will be played at the 7,114-yard, par-72 Shoal Creek Course, a Jack Nicklaus-designed layout that is ranked No. 49 on Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Public and Private Golf Courses in America.
On Oct. 8-9, the Spartans travel to Chicago for the Windon Memorial, hosted by Northwestern. MSU last played in the Windon Memorial in 2003, when it finished 12th.
The Spartans close the fall schedule at the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge (Oct. 23-24), held at the Bandon Dunes Resort in Bandon, Ore. MSU qualified via its fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championship last year, as the tournament invites the top teams from each conference to renew the traditional football rivalry.
"Last year we were invited to several places we hadn't competed at before, and experienced a high level of competition early in the season," Hankins said. "This year, we'll be more prepared to play in these tournaments and that should translate into higher finishes."
Michigan State opens the spring in Houston, Texas, for its annual alumni match at the Champions Golf Course. The team then travels to Arizona for spring break in preparation for its first spring tournament, the Spring Break Tournament (March 10-11) at the Arizona Country Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The following week, MSU travels south to make an appearance at Georgia Southern's EZ-GO Schenkel Invitational (March 17-18). Last season, Harmon earned medalist honors and paced the Spartans to a sixth-place finish.
The Spartans return to the Midwest for their next four tournaments and an important stretch of head-to-head match-ups that could determine their NCAA Tournament fate. MSU starts at Purdue's Boilermaker Invitational (April 7-8), held at the Kampen Course, the site of the 2008 NCAA Championship.
Next, Michigan State visits Ohio State for the Kepler Invitational (April 14-15) to preview the Buckeye's Scarlet Course, site of the 2007 Big Ten Championship. MSU then returns to East Lansing to host the 40th Fossum Invitational (April 21-22) at Forest Akers West Golf Course.
"We are staying in the Midwest more this spring, so I think it has a little bit better flow to it," Hankins said. "With similar environments and equal playing fields, I think we will excel."
With a month's worth of Midwest competition under their belt, the Spartans travel to Columbus, Ohio, to try to reclaim the Big Ten Championship (April 28-29) at Ohio State's Scarlet Course. MSU closes the regular season at The Maxwell (May 12-13) in Ardmore, Okla.
The NCAA Regionals will be held at three sites - East (The Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta, Ga.); Central (Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.); and West (ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.) from May 17-19. The NCAA Championships will be played May 30-June 2 at the Horseshoe Golf Club, Gold Course in Williamsburg, Va.
With leadership, team experience and a top-ranked schedule, the Spartans are poised to return to the NCAA Regionals for the fourth time in six years.
Players Mentioned
