US Varsity Golf as a whole has experienced its ups and downs as it has progressed through the season. The top four players on Varsity (Josh Hunter, Ben Cowan, Ryan Cercelle, and Kyle Flatow) have proven themselves to be moderately dependable: their scores only fluctuating a few strokes. For the past following weeks now, it is almost as if the team was constructed only of these four guys. As opposing teams play with five players, the varsity team is faced with a disadvantage off the bat. But where’s US’s fifth man?
Unlike the top four players, the dependability of the fifth man has been deficient. The three players currently battling it out for the spot have had their respective chance to prove themselves throughout the course of the season. Although each player has shot as low as 80, each one has also exceeded a score of 95.
As the team looks to make it to Columbus for the State Tournament this year, a reliable fifth man is vital for the team’s success. In the District Tournament of the 2015 season, the US Golf team came up 5 strokes short of traveling to Columbus. It is important to note that at the time the fifth man, Pierce Hamilton, shot a 102. Each player is essential to the success of the team. As the 2016 Golf Team has established a high standard for itself, Coach Eddie Neer should be able to trust all five players to shoot at or below 80 at any given course. With the Sectional Tournament just weeks away, the team is awaiting the emergence of a reliable fifth man to assist in the playoff run. Who will it be? Only time will tell. Nonetheless, look for the US Golf Team to achieve its goal and advance to the State Tournament.