FAYETTEVILLE — A little breeze, please.
That’s the wish of Arkansas Coach Brad McMakin, whose men’s golf team is hosting the three-round NCAA Fayetteville Regional that begins at 8 a.m. today.
McMakin and his team think the harsher the conditions at Blessings Golf Club this weekend, the better shot No. 12 Arkansas has at winning the team title.
“Home advantage in golf is a big advantage, and if the wind kicks up it’ll help us a ton,” McMakin said.
“There’s a huge intimidation factor on this golf course, just by the way it looks,” Arkansas senior Austin Cook said. “I feel like a lot of course knowledge goes a long way. … We’re not intimidated because we play it all the time.”
Blessings plays long at 7,251 yards, has tight fairways, particularly on the back nine, limited rolls on the zoysia grass fairways, and fast greens. Throw in a few blind shots, the potential for awkward lies, heavy growth lurking just beyond the rough and the likelihood of those stiff Northwest Arkansas breezes and the potential exists for soaring scoring.
“If I had to put it on a scale, one to 10, I’d probably say eight or nine,” Arkansas freshman Taylor Moore said of the course’s intimidation factor. “But then again, I think it’s still golf. … so if they figure out how to play it in that one practice round, then kudos to them. I don’t think it’s going to be that easy for teams that are coming in, seeing it once and saying, ‘OK, I’m going to come out here and play well.’ ”
The top five seeds for the regional are No. 4 Texas, Arkansas, No. 16 Oklahoma State, No. 21 SMU and No. 28 Kent State. No. 33 Illinois, the Big Ten champion, is also viewed as a strong contender. Others in the field include Liberty, Tulsa, Kentucky, Colorado, Indiana, North Carolina-Wilmington, Missouri-Kansas City and Alabama State.
Pep Angles of Central Arkansas is one of five golfers playing as individuals in the regional.
“Arkansas is the host, so they’ll be very strong there,” John Fields, coach of defending national champion Texas and the No. 1 seed in Fayetteville, told the Longhorn Network. “I think Oklahoma State will be strong there as well because the golf course, the Blessings … is a very good golf course. It’s strong and it is unforgiving. That is what Karsten Creek is like in Stillwater, Okla., so I think Oklahoma State will be strong there as well.”
The Razorbacks are looking to atone for their postseason collapse of 2012, a season in which they won a school-record seven tournaments but failed to advance from the NCAA regional in Lexington, Ky.
Fueled by that disappointment, the Razorbacks don’t plan on repeating it this weekend.
“We shouldn’t have missed it last year,” said junior Sebastian Cappelen, the Hogs’ scoring leader. “We need to make it to nationals. We’re not going to just try to make it, we’re going to try to win regionals.”
The top five teams and the top individual from a non-advancing team will qualify for the NCAA Championship, which will be May 28 through June 2 in Atlanta.
The top players in the Fayetteville Regional include Arkansas’ Cappelen, the medalist at the SEC Championship; Texas freshman Brandon Stone, the Big 12 player of the year and Big 12 tournament medalist whose 70.87 stroke average is tied for eighth in the country; Illinois junior Thomas Pieters, the Big Ten champion; and Oklahoma State junior Talor Gooch, a two-time All-Big 12 performer and runner-up at the Big 12 Championship.
McMakin has said the Razorbacks are the team to beat and his players have chimed in their agreement.
“On our golf course we are probably the best team,” McMakin said. “I know Texas is a great team, they won the national championship last year, but when you go onto someone’s home golf course, especially if we get some adverse conditions, if we get some wind, nothing crazy, just something 10 to 15 [mph], it’ll be a different ball game.
“The Blessings is [an] intimidating golf course to the eye. … Honestly, some people will be sleeping restless after a practice round out there.”
While the Razorbacks are intent on becoming one of the five teams to advance, their hunger for winning a regional title is obvious.
“I don’t feel like any team could match us on this course,” Cook said.
“This being on our home course, we expect to win,” said Moore, of Edmond, Okla. “I don’t think it’s a matter of if we win or not, it’s by how many. That’s kind of the deal.”
NCAA golf FAYETTEVILLE REGIONAL
WHEN 8 a.m. today through Saturday WHERE Blessings Golf Club, Fayetteville WHAT Top five teams and top individual from non-advancing team advance to the NCAA Championship on May 28-June 2 at Capital City Club, Atlanta, Ga.
TEAMS No. 4 Texas, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 16 Oklahoma State, No. 21 SMU, Kent State, Illinois, Liberty, Tulsa, Kentucky, Colorado, Indiana, North Carolina-Wilmington, Missouri-Kansas City, Alabama State. Individuals: Pep Angles, Central Arkansas; Chris Gilbert, Kansas; Mitchell McLeroy, Stephen F. Austin; Paul McConnell, Texas-Arlington; Patrick Newcomb, Murray State ARKANSAS’ PROJECTED LINEUP Sebastian Cappelen (72.21 scoring average), Austin Cook (73.19), Thomas Sorensen (73.35), Taylor Moore (73.87), Nicolas Echavarria (75.56) REGIONAL SITES Blessings Golf Club, Fayetteville; University Club, Baton Rouge, La.; Golden Eagle Country Club, Tallahassee, Fla.; The Scarlet Course, Columbus, Ohio; Karsten Golf Course, Tempe, Ariz.; Palouse Ridge Golf Club, Pullman, Wash.
Sports, Pages 19 on 05/16/2013