As the Spring portion of the 2009-10 golf season approaches, the Chattanooga men's golf team enters with several questions. The Mocs ranked No. 1 in the first Golfstat ranking in September, but finished the Fall at No. 42. UTC will need a more consistent effort throughout the lineup in its quest for a fourth straight Southern Conference championship as well as a return to the NCAA Finals.
This year's finals will be played in the Mocs' own backyard as the Honors Course in suburban Chattanooga hosts the event June 1-6. To get there, Head Coach Mark Guhne hopes to learn from an uneven Fall performance.
"It was a frustrating, but beneficial," said Guhne. "We learned a lot about ourselves and where we need to improve.
"This team is loaded with talent," added the fifth-year head coach. "Our mental approach needed tweaking, as did our ability to work through adversity, like weather or course conditions. I really like this team both for this season and the future.
Two seniors anchor the squad in Derek Rende (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) and Fredrik Qvicker (Stockholm, Sweden). Both have been integral to the Mocs' rise to national prominence. They have combined to play 229 rounds in their three-plus years.
Rende is a three-time all-conference and two-time PING All-Region performer. Winner of the 2007 Tennessee Open and 2008 Tennessee Amateur, Rende also earned Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar honors in 2009.
Qvicker not only has an All-SoCon selection in his career, but he has also played at a high level since arriving in Chattanooga ,bringing with him a wealth of international experience. He has qualified for match play at the last two British Amateurs making it to the round of 32 both times. Qvicker was also one of two amateurs (Nils Floren - Texas Tech) to earn a sponsor's exemption into The Princess on the European Challenge Tour, the Euro equivalent to the Nationwide Tour.
"I can't begin to express strongly enough what Derek and Freddy have meant to our program," noted Guhne. "It would truly be an understatement. Where would this program be without them?
"It will be bittersweet coaching them this Spring knowing it is the last one after watching them grow over the past four years."
The squad features two other seniors in fifth-year Tripp Harris and former transfer J.T. Clendenin. Harris has played in several events over his career with most coming as a true freshman in 2005-06. Clendenin was a regular in the Spring 2008 team that ranked in the top 20.
Clendenin started in four events in the Fall and may be a key to the lineup in the Spring. He and Harris will battle for travel time with several underclassmen.
"J.T. and Tripp have tournament experience and that is important," added Guhne. "There is a lot of competition this season and they have the ability to have a positive impact going forward."
Sophomore Stephan Jaeger is off to a great start to his career with the Mocs. Jaeger is ranked No. 32 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Ratings Index after two top fives and not finishing out of the top 20 in all five events. That's coming off a 2009 season where Jaeger was named SoCon Freshman of the Year as well as earning all-region and all-conference honors.
"Stephan is our No. 1," Guhne said. "He has earned that right with his consistent play and unbelievable work ethic. He has that fire and the game to match."
Three freshmen are in the mix as well in redshirt Simon Forsslund along with Steven Fox and Alex Ratliff. Fox played in all five events, while Forsslund played in one. Forsslund and Ratliff also saw time as individuals during the Fall.
"All three can play," added Guhne. "There is no question there, but the experience factors in. Fox got off to a great start like Jaeger the year before and then struggled. That's natural. I'm looking for him to take that next step this Spring.
"I have high hopes for Simon and Alex," he continued. "We have more depth than at any other time in my tenure here and that competition just to get in the lineup should benefit us each time out."
Two new arrivals came on board in January. Internationals Chris Robb (Aberdeenshire, Scotland) and Benjamin Weilguni (Langelois, Austria) plan to redshirt to get acclimated to college and life in the states. However, both bring a wealth of junior success and have proven early on that the future is bright for Chattanooga golf.
"Chris and Benny are great kids and are really strong additions," added Guhne. "It is so tempting to push them into the lineup, but we want to try and do what's best for them in the long run."
The schedule is strong for the Spring beginning Valentine's Day weekend at the SunTrust Gator Invitational. This is a return trip for the Mocs as Rende (69-68-69=206/-4) finished fourth in 2009, one shot out of a three-player playoff for medalist honors.
After a one-year hiatus, the Mocs return to defend 2008 championships at the Cleveland Golf/Palmetto Intercollegiate (Mar. 8-9) and Furman Intercollegiate (Mar. 19-21). Chattanooga then returns to the Hootie at Bulls Bay (Mar. 28-29) and the Administaff Augusta State Invitational (Apr. 3-4) before defending its SoCon crown Apr. 18-20 at the Country Club of South Carolina.
NCAA Regionals are May 20-22 with sites in Alpharetta, Ga., Notre Dame, Ind., San Diego, Calif., College Station, Texas, Bremerton, Wash., and New Haven, Conn. Then Chattanooga proudly hosts the Finals on June 1-6 at one of the country's gems, The Honors Course.
"This schedule will challenge and prepare us," concluded Guhne. "We need to continue to work and get better every time out. I think we are more the team that opened with a second-place finish at the Carpet Capital than the one that finished the Fall ranked 42nd.
"But that's something we have to prove."
