The John Brown University men's golf team lowered its team average by two strokes, down from 317 in the 2013-14 season to 317 in 2014-15.
Head coach Doug Turner would like to see the Golden Eagles take an even bigger dip in 2015-16.
"I want us to finish the fall with a less than 310 stroke average," said Turner. "If we play well and within our ability, we can finish with around a 307 average. That's realistic for us."
The Golden Eagles begin their fall season Sept. 14-15 at the U.C. Ferguson Classic hosted by Oklahoma City University. The match will be held at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City.
JBU will play two more fall matches after that for a total of three events in the fall.
They'll play in the Evangel (Mo.) Fall Invitational at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Mo., on Sept. 28-29.
The Golden Eagles will wrap up fall competition on Oct. 26-27 at the Abilene Intercollegiate Invitational at Diamondback Golf Course in Abilene, Texas.
Turner said the program will likely play four tournaments in the spring along with a couple of head-to-head matches.
JBU has seven players on its roster, consisting of three seniors, two freshmen and one junior and one sophomore.
Junior Trevor Barton of Rogers is the Golden Eagles' leading returner.
Barton finished last year with a 74.79 stroke average, an improvement of more than three strokes from his freshman season.
"He's been my No. 1 guy," Turner said of Barton. "He's in good shape. He's continually consistent. He hits the ball in the same direction, same shot shape. He's our most consistent ball striker. What really sets him apart is he's one of the best putters you'll ever play with."
Seniors Sam Greenleaf, Robert Raborn and Max Gordon return to this year's team.
Greenleaf's 2014 junior average, 79.3, was up slightly from his sophomore year of 78.38. Turner is looking for a bounce back year from Greenleaf.
Raborn averaged an 81 for JBU as a junior last season.
Raborn has been hitting the ball well, but he needs to work on his short game.
"Robert's one of the best ball strikers but not great on the green," Turner said.
Gordon had a strong fall last season but struggled in the spring, Turner said. He spent the summer as an intern for the North Texas PGA in Dallas.
"I'm hoping working on his game this summer will work on his confidence, Turner said.
Sophomore Thatcher Radler of Fayetteville should be a strong addition to the team.
Radler was a student at JBU last year but ineligible to play.
"He's now eligible," Turner said. "He's very talented and can really hit the ball well. He comes from a good, golf family."
Turner is also looking for big things out of freshmen Gage Parker of El Dorado (Ark.) and Tristan Kadel of Iowa.
"Gage Parker can flat out play," Turner said. "I think he can push Trevor all year for the No. 1 spot. He's going to contribute right away."
Turner said the team will condition on Mondays and Wednesdays and practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
"When we play 36 (holes in a tournament), we need to be in the best condition we can be in," he said.
Sports on 08/26/2015