Oklahoma State's men's golf team thinks a tough home course with strong winds will give it an advantage in pursuit of its 11th NCAA championship this week in Stillwater.
The No. 1 ranked Cowboys are among 30 teams competing at Karsten Creek the next six days for a national title. Five golfers from each team and the top golfer from the six NCAA Regionals will also compete for an individual national title the first three days of the championship.
The Cowboys are led by senior Kevin Tway and juniors Peter Uihlein and Morgan Hoffmann. Uihlein is ranked first in the final R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking, while Tway is seventh and Hoffmann is 16th.
Hoffmann said he thinks the rough at Karsten Creek will put more emphasis on players driving onto the fairway.
"(The rough) is a lot higher than it's been in the past," Hoffmann said. "They over-seeded it twice, and then it fertilized it before all of the rain. It's going to be thick and long."
Oklahoma State has been dominant this season, winning eight of the 12 tournaments it has participated in and winning its NCAA Regional by 18 strokes. The Cowboys also won their fifth straight Big 12 Championship.
Head coach Mike McGraw thinks losing in the elimination rounds the last two seasons, including to Augusta State in the finals last season, has pushed the Cowboys to greater success this season.
"We have basically the same goals every year," McGraw said. "This year we have maybe a little higher motivation factor based upon the last two years, so they're ready. They've prepared the right way."
This will be the third time Oklahoma State has hosted the men's NCAA golf Championship. The previous two times the Cowboys hosted, at Stillwater Country Club in 1973, and Karsten Creek in 2003, they finished second.
The par 4, 471 yard 17th hole is considered one of the toughest holes on the course. The ball must go 180 yards into a strong wind that typically reaches 30 mph to clear the water hazard, according to the NCAA. The narrowest part of the fairway is 45 feet, or the width of a school bus.
McGraw said he would like to see typical Oklahoma weather this week to help give his team an advantage.
"(Former coach Mike Holder) and I prayed for wind back in 2003, and we got calm (for) four straight days," McGraw said. "I won't be doing any praying on the wind, but it would be nice to have some wind. You're in Oklahoma."
Some of the teams that could challenge Oklahoma State include No. 2 UCLA, Regional winners Florida and Michigan, fellow Big 12 member Texas A&M and defending national champion Augusta State.
The top eight teams after three rounds of play will begin the quarterfinals of match play on Friday.
McGraw said a player could take more chances during match play because total number of shots does not affect the final score.
"If you drive it in the fairway (in match play), the guy that hits it just four feet in (has) some mental advantage on him right away," McGraw said. "You're just playing that one guy, so you've just got to go out and whoop that one guy."
The No. 1 ranked Cowboys are among 30 teams competing at Karsten Creek the next six days for a national title. Five golfers from each team and the top golfer from the six NCAA Regionals will also compete for an individual national title the first three days of the championship.
The Cowboys are led by senior Kevin Tway and juniors Peter Uihlein and Morgan Hoffmann. Uihlein is ranked first in the final R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking, while Tway is seventh and Hoffmann is 16th.
Hoffmann said he thinks the rough at Karsten Creek will put more emphasis on players driving onto the fairway.
"(The rough) is a lot higher than it's been in the past," Hoffmann said. "They over-seeded it twice, and then it fertilized it before all of the rain. It's going to be thick and long."
Oklahoma State has been dominant this season, winning eight of the 12 tournaments it has participated in and winning its NCAA Regional by 18 strokes. The Cowboys also won their fifth straight Big 12 Championship.
Head coach Mike McGraw thinks losing in the elimination rounds the last two seasons, including to Augusta State in the finals last season, has pushed the Cowboys to greater success this season.
"We have basically the same goals every year," McGraw said. "This year we have maybe a little higher motivation factor based upon the last two years, so they're ready. They've prepared the right way."
This will be the third time Oklahoma State has hosted the men's NCAA golf Championship. The previous two times the Cowboys hosted, at Stillwater Country Club in 1973, and Karsten Creek in 2003, they finished second.
The par 4, 471 yard 17th hole is considered one of the toughest holes on the course. The ball must go 180 yards into a strong wind that typically reaches 30 mph to clear the water hazard, according to the NCAA. The narrowest part of the fairway is 45 feet, or the width of a school bus.
McGraw said he would like to see typical Oklahoma weather this week to help give his team an advantage.
Some of the teams that could challenge Oklahoma State include No. 2 UCLA, Regional winners Florida and Michigan, fellow Big 12 member Texas A&M and defending national champion Augusta State.
The top eight teams after three rounds of play will begin the quarterfinals of match play on Friday.
McGraw said a player could take more chances during match play because total number of shots does not affect the final score.
"If you drive it in the fairway (in match play), the guy that hits it just four feet in (has) some mental advantage on him right away," McGraw said. "You're just playing that one guy, so you've just got to go out and whoop that one guy."
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