2009 Men's Golf Season Preview

After having the most successful semester in the program's history, Coach Wilson and participants in the Trojan golf program predict that their best golf is still ahead of them. With four out of five starters returned from last season and with five very talented newcomers, this Trojan squad has taken on a new identity.

"This team is hungry," states third-year coach Robbie Wilson. "We have made obvious improvements from last year to this year, and those efforts are showing in our scoring averages. It's only a matter of time before we get a team victory, and after we do that, the sky's the limit to what we can accomplish."

Trojan golfers finished the 2007-08 season with a 323.4 stroke average, the fourth best in program history; however, through five tournaments this year, the teams' 309.1 stroke average is good enough to beat the school record by nine shots, a record that was set by the 2005-06 squad. Coach Wilson believes he knows where the improvement comes from: "It all starts with depth; the last two recruiting classes have produced four new starters, and the addition of these players is the reason for the rejuvenation of the program."

In addition to the new starters, the reliability of senior captain, Will Scism, has been an anchor for the team during the last three seasons. After leading the team in scoring the last two years, Scism finished the fall with a 78.6 scoring average. Will's leadership extends not only on the course but also in the classroom. The 5'10" senior from Lebanon, Tenn., was named a TranSouth Scholar Athlete as well as a NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Also in 2008 Scism was named to the all-conference team after finishing in 2nd place at last year's conference tournament. With one more semester left, Will is determined to help lead this team to its first national tournament appearance.

The five newcomers to the program-Joey Bradley (Austin Peay), Skip Jones (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), David Saldana (Clarksville, Tenn.), and William Potts (Old Hickory, Tenn.)-will be tested early in their careers and will be relied upon throughout the year. So far this season, the 5'11" freshman from Centerville, Tenn., Joey Bradley has made the biggest impact. This Austin Peay transfer captured the Bluegrass Invitational in late October for his first collegiate victory, Bradley's 75.75 scoring average led the team, and his 24 birdies were three more than any Trojan made all of last season. Sophomore Bobby Humburg (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) stepped up his game this fall by being the only Trojan not to have a round over 78. Humburg's 76.4 stroke average improved by 6 shots over last season. "Last year's regional tournament gave Bobby the added confidence that he could play at the highest level, and it has carried over to the beginning of this year," states Coach Wilson.

Junior co-captains Clifton Smith (Clarksville, Tenn.) and Josh Fields (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) as well as sophomores Grant Moffett (San Diego, Calif.) and Rece Martin (Ashland, Ky.) will provide the Trojans with very good depth. Coach Wilson believes that "even though we are young, every golfer on this team has played in quality tournaments and that will only help us down the final stretch of the season."

Coach Wilson sums up this past fall season and the up-coming spring by stating that this team will not be satisfied: "We set very specific goals at the beginning of the year, and this team will not be content until those goals have been met. We have a new attitude in our program so that when we tee it off we truly believe that we can beat any team we play."