"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
online golf column
by
Chris Dortch

May 7, 2008

Chattanooga golf coach Mark Guhne has built something special in an amazingly short amount of time. The success of the Mocs, who three short years ago had never been ranked in the top 100 in the country and are now No. 12, is based on a simple principle.

Team golf is really no different than individual stroke play. Make more birdies than your opponent, and you stand a pretty fair chance of winning. This season, the Mocs have taken dead aim at the flagsticks and are converting birdies as well as any team in the nation.

There are plenty of numbers to back up that statement. The Mocs lead the nation in par-5 scoring (4.68) and are No. 2 in sub par strokes per round (3.48).

“We play very aggressively,” Guhne said of his young team, which plays host to the NCAA East Regional next week at Council Fire. “I don’t think there’s any other way to play golf. I you out-birdie everybody else, most of the time, you’re going to win.”

Guhne’s players don’t have a problem with following his edict to fire at flagsticks.

“We play smart,” Guhne said. “But we don’t believe in playing safe.”

That philosophy has paid big dividends this year, and in particular this spring. The Mocs have won four times since March, including the Southern Conference championship, and have also claimed second- and third-place finishes.

Four players among Guhne’s five-man traveling team are ranked among the top 86 in the nation in birdies: Derek Rende (17), Jonathan Hodge (20), Ben Rickett (69) and Fredrik Qvicker (86). Rickett is ranked 13^th in eagles (six). All five starters are averaging between 4.66 and 4.70 on par fives.

The seeds for their aggressive play are sewn in Guhne’s practice sessions.

“We work very hard on our short game,” Guhne said. “So we can aim at more flagsticks and not have to worry about not getting up and down. We’ve got confidence that we can save par from anywhere.”

Like every NCAA team, the Mocs are limited to 20 hours a week for competition (matches count as three hours) and practice. But they can practice on their own as much as they want. Often, long after practices are over, the players will hang around on the practice green, chipping and putting. And lest anyone wonder where school comes into the equation, Chattanooga’s team GPA is above 3.0.

“And we’ve got a 3.85 and a 3.5,” Guhne says with pride.

The Mocs have steadily risen up the rankings in Guhne’s tenure, and this season is their best yet. The program’s best ever, in fact. By far. And this is still a young team. Only Rickett and Hodge are juniors. Rende, Qvicker and J.T. Clendenin are all sophomores.

The Mocs are so good that senior Tyler Neff, who’s ranked No. 12 in the SoCon in scoring average, can’t get on the golf course unless someone gets hurt. When Qvicker turned an ankle in April, Neff stepped in at the Bank of America Intercollegiate and opened with a 71 and 69.

“Tyler’s only problem is that our other five guys are ranked in the top eight [in SoCon scoring],” Guhne said.

Clearly, with no seniors on the roster, this program isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. And Guhne has recruited another talented Swede, Simon Forslund, and former Chattanooga Baylor star Stephen Jaeger to come in next year. Qualifying rounds will be like a war.

But Guhne isn’t thinking about next year. Next week is on his mind. The Mocs have a chance to make yet another statement on the national level when they entertain Georgia, South Carolina, Duke, Charlotte and 22 other top teams in the NCAA regional at Council Fire May 15-17. Chattanooga practices and plays at Council Fire and will have a home course advantage.

That local knowledge will play into the Mocs’ hands as they fire at the flags, knowing full well where not to miss their approach shots. Guhne looks forward to the challenge.

“The competition will be tremendous,” Guhne said. “But our guys are playing with a lot of confidence right now. It’ll be fun to see what happens.”

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