Men's Golf Confident 2014 Will Cement Legacy at Coker

HARTSVILLE, S.C – Over the last two years, the Coker men's golf team has propelled itself into the national spotlight and become a team synonymous with winning. That high praise and attention has sparked a fire in the 2014 team to cement itself among the greatest teams in Coker golf history. However, the Cobras know the only obstacle in their way of cementing that legacy is their consistency.

The 2013 team entered the season with their confidence at an all-time high after winning the conference championship and being nationally ranked in two well-known polls. While the team's confidence would never falter, its play would sway back-and-forth all season as the team posted top-five finishes in all four fall tournaments, but only one top-five in the five spring tournaments.

"I have a great group of confident guys," said first-year coach Danny Allen, who comes to Coker after serving as assistant men's golf coach at the University of Pennsylvania the last two years. "I love that we already have the confidence to compete with anyone, now we just have to add the consistency to win another title."

The 2014 season will mark Coker's first year in the highly competitive South Atlantic Conference. The Cobras know putting together two good rounds on back-to-back days at tournaments will be key to making an immediate impact in the conference.

"The guys have really locked in and focused more on playing well two days in a row," said Allen. "We had a solid fall season, but we were a little up and down from day-to-day. I have no doubt that the work we put in during the winter will carry over into our championship season this spring and we will compete for a SAC championship."

Allen inherits a nine-man roster loaded with upperclassmen including four juniors and a senior. He will rely on junior all-conference selection Christopher Fuga and senior Josh Clay to lead the charge for a team hoping to make another title run.

"Chris and Josh are phenomenal players with all-conference skill to win any tournament they play in," said Allen. "Both continue to improve in every facet of the game, and their scores will be the key to us finishing in the top five more consistently and earning a bid to regionals."

While the Cobras possesses much talent in their returners, Allen believes newcomers Zane Price and Will Bundy have a chance to come in and make an immediate impact.

"Zane really came on late in the fall and showed me his potential," said Allen. "The kid surprised me, and if he can keep up his good play he'll make us a deadly team. Will on the other hand has raw talent that just needs to be molded and shaped, but his work ethic tells me that he could be a special player when his time comes."

As qualifying for their first tournament comes to a close, the Cobras are eager to bring home another conference title, this time in the SAC.

"The team has been working harder than I think they have ever worked before," said Allen. "The feeling I get from them is unlike any feeling I have had with one of my teams before. These guys know what it takes to win and they want to cement their legacy at Coker with another title."

The men's golf team opens its season today at The Spring Kick-Off Intercollegiate in Monroe, N.C.

Story written by sports information graduate assistant Sharod Williams '13.