By Ryan Finley The only coach in history to win national titles with both women’s and men’s teams decided to stick with the men. “It was really rough decision for me,” LaRose said. “I wasn’t spending any time at home, and didn’t have any amount of free time on my own. I knew I had a good women’s coach in the wings in Todd McCorkel so I decided to stay on as the men’s coach.” After working solely on the men’s program for the past two years, LaRose has found himself at the helm of a team that has yields a preseason No. 8 ranking…not to mention the best recruiting class in the nation.
Of the five, LaRose touts Barnes as one player to watch. “His brother Andy graduated last year, so we like to say that Ricky has great Wildcat pedigree,” LaRose said, “He knows how the program works.” Of the returning players, senior Derek Gillespie is by far the most experienced. In last year’s NCAA Tournament, he finished 6 over par 294, placing just ten strokes behind the champion, Luke Donald of Northwestern. His sixth-place showing was the highest national finish for a Wildcat since Roy Sabbatini finished second in the 1996 tournament to a player named Tiger Woods. Although Gillespie hails from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, hardly a golf hotbed, he hasn’t forgotten his roots. “He played on the Canadian national team and has been an All-American,” LaRose said. “He’s as experienced as they come.” Conversely, the team’s biggest weakness has to do with their youth. Of the team’s 15 players, seven of them are underclassmen. “Like any sport, youth can sometimes mean inexperience,” LaRose said. “We’re young and we know we’re going to make mistakes. However, we have yet to see any of those mistakes in our first two matches.” In the seemingly endless collegiate golf season (Sept. 12- June 3), the Wildcats have started off on the right foot. In the season’s first tournament, The Ridges Intercollegiate Tournament in Johnson City, Tenn., the UA finished second. Norris led all golfers with a 71 average in through three rounds, finishing in the tournament’s top 10.
The team followed their opener with an 8th-place finish in the W.H. Tucker Intercollegiate Tournament in Albuquerque last weekend. “Only time will tell what kind of a team we can be,” LaRose said. “I like the way we’ve started and I know that, with time, we can be even better.” LaRose knows what it takes to produce a great team. In his 22 years at the helm, the Wildcats have produced 32 All-Americans and a national title in 1992. Famous Arizona alumni include 1988 Amateur of the Year Erik Meeks and 1990 Amateur of the Year Robert Gamez, not to mention professionals such as Ted Purdy, Dan Puhl, and Jim Furyk. If the veteran coach Rick LaRose has it his way, Gillespie and
company will soon join that elite group. |
team a golf contender, coach says
“It’s been a good season so far,” LaRose said.
“We finished incredibly well as a team in ‘the Ridges’
and I’m happy with the direction we’re heading in.”
The Boulders Golf Club - South Course