As golf comes to an end this fall, the team reflected on a season well done considering both teams are adjusting.
“We are rebuilding,” said head coach for both men and women’s golf Richard Warren. “There’s been no continuity and we are so young in conference.”
The men’s team has improved since the beginning of their season, but still struggled to have big success in the Northwest Conference.
The women’s team has also struggled in conference this season.
On the men’s team, two key players didn’t return to Pacific this year. Senior Gage Josi returned from a year of studying abroad and the freshmen are adjusting to being college student-athletes.
“The freshmen haven’t been as competitive as they need to be,” said Warren, who also mentioned, “The transition from high school golf to college golf is a big one.”
The only two returners from last year are involved in other fall sports along with golf.
The women’s team is a little farther along, said Warren. With two returning seniors and three ladies who have played in college before. The women’s team is more settled in experience than the men. But that hasn’t been reflected compared to the other teams in conference.
“We may be the youngest team in conference,” said Warren. “We are behind because we don’t have five returners.”
The majority of the other teams in conference have at least four if not all five of their returning players back on the green.
Willamette, University of Puget Sound and Whitman have five returning players who participated in conference the previous year. This is not the circumstance Pacific has found itself in.
To prepare for the spring season, Warren is having both teams focus on their short game.
“Putting is an art,” said Warren. “The shortest distance is the hardest part of the game.”
There are two major tournaments in the spring Warren has his eye on, but plans to prepare the team with minor tournaments so the teams can practice playing an individual sport on a team.
The teams themselves are a solid pair, though.
“The teams blend together better than anyone else in conference,” said Warren.
He accredits this to the fact that he is the coach for both the men’s and women’s teams and that they have practices together.
“They can learn from each other,” Warren said.
The future holds potential for the men and women of Pacific golf, and spring is their chance to show the conference their honed skills.
“We can be stronger than what we’ve shown,” said Warren.
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