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May 2008 |
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FPC Golf team prepares for second trip to nationals |
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Friday, 09 May 2008 |
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Pictured are members of the Frank Phillips golf team traveling to compete in the national tournament. (l to r) Julian Figueroa, Jeremy Osborn, Corey Steger, Tyler Fernandez, and Alex Hauser.
Courtesy Photo By Rusty Berry
Sports Editor
In the heart of the Texas Panhandle sits a school with a golf program that has enjoyed almost instant success.
In only its second year in existence, the Frank Phillips College golf team is preparing to make their second straight trip to the national tournament on May 18-23.
Those players that will represent the team at nationals include: Tyler Fernandez from Borger, Julian Figueroa from El Paso, Jeremy Osborn from Borger, Alex Hauser from Kirkland, Wash., and Canadian Corey Steger from North Vancouver, British Columbia.
When Plainsmen Athletic Director and Golf Coach John Green was asked about the amount of success the golf program has enjoyed only one word came to Green’s mind, “Shocked, When we started putting together the golf program I did not expect for the team to finish their first season ranked 16th in the nation and to follow that with a team that potentially could finish better this year.”
Green added, “Considering the first fall semester we played, back in 2006, we were finishing close to last in every tournament it is amazing to see the work the players put in to turn things around so fast.”
With five players on the roster from the panhandle, including four from Borger, to go along with four international players the Plainsmen have been able to mark their success from home and abroad.
Green said. “I just been fortunate to have good contacts that have helped bring in some great international players while being able to have some local players step in to make my job as coach easier.”
Even some of the players have been surprised by the success the team has enjoyed.
Hauser said, “I knew we had a pretty good team when I got here but I knew we were going to be playing in a tough conference. Also just for myself I knew coming from Washington where you never really had to account for the wind to playing in West Texas, I knew my own game was going to have to make some adjusting.”
But Fernandez and Figueroa both agreed in that everyone has just continued to get better so reaching nationals in back to back years is not too big of a surprise for them.
The adjusting and getting better has seemed to paid off with Fernandez and Steger being named to the WJCAC All-Conference team for this season, with Steger finishing consistently in the top 15 in each tournament all year while Fernandez was consistent top 25.
Of Fernandez, Green said “Tyler has improved his game tremendously over the last two years to where he should be able to take his game on to the next level to a division one or two school.”
Hauser finished the year strong by placing in the top 15 at the WJCAC conference championships after coming back from having his appendix removed in the fall semester.
The national tournament will be held in Huntsville, Ala. at the Trent Jones Golf Course-River Course.
When asked about the course the first thing out of Figueroa and Fernandez’s mouths was “long.”
Hauser said from what he has heard is that the course will be set up almost similar to the PGA event held there a few weeks back.
Green added that with the course being so long his job will be to make sure the team is hydrated well to keep them in good condition throughout the tournament.
Figueroa said that one of the things he has noticed is everyone will need to make sure to be able to hit the ball straight otherwise they will be in trouble.
The good news is the team will have the first two days in Huntsville for practice rounds on the course to get familiar with it before playing in the tournament the final three days.
The other thing the team will be working on before they play in the tournament is putting. Green said that is something he really has worked on with this team being able to perform well when putting under pressure.
Fernandez and Figueroa both seem to have the right approach in handling the pressure for the tournament with Fernandez saying “we just do not need to think about it being nationals and just go out their relax and enjoy playing our last tournament at the junior college level.”
As far as goals for the team, Green said he would like to see his team finish in the top nine but as long as they can maybe finish better than last year then he will be happy.
For the players, Hauser said, “It would be nice to make All-American but that might be a hard goal so even getting a top 20 finish would be nice.”
With Midland and Odessa College being two of the best teams in the country, the Plainsmen are used to playing some of the top competition already.
If the team continues their trend of improving every tournament and can play as relaxed as they seem to be regarding the tournament, then the goals set can definitely be reached.
Regardless of the outcome at the national tournament, the level of success the Frank Phillips golf program has reached in two short years is definitely something the Borger community can be proud of. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 12 May 2008 )
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