Crimson Tide Third in Preseason Coaches' Poll
9/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 2, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama men's golf team is ranked third in the Golf World/Nike Division-I Preseason Coaches' Poll released Friday after being complied by Golf World and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
The Crimson Tide received 433 total points to trail only top-ranked UCLA (eight first-place votes and 461 votes) and Oklahoma State (nine first-place votes and 449 votes. Georgia Tech is fourth with Texas rounding out the top five.
"First of all, it's just preseason," Alabama head coach Jay Seawell said. "It's a long year between now and June, and we have a lot of work to do. But I think it also just continues to show the hard work that these guys have put in to make Alabama golf a year in and year out national power. Anytime you can be thought of by the college coaches to be one of the top five programs in the country that is a testament to the players. I am very proud of that, that is what we wanted to build.
"We wanted to build a national power and I think we have been ranked in the top five basically about five of the past six years, so I think we have done that now it's time for us to get out of the preseason and into the postseason."
The Southeastern Conference has six teams in the top 25 with four of those teams in the top 10. Florida follows No. 3 Alabama in seventh while Auburn checks in at No. 9 with Arkansas at No. 10. Georgia is the next SEC squad at No. 15 with LSU holding the league's final spot in the top 25 at No. 17. The SEC also has two teams receiving votes outside the top 25 with Tennessee 28th and South Carolina at No. 43.
The Crimson Tide returns four starters from last year's team, but must replace three-time All-American Bud Cauley. Senior captain Hunter Hamrick returns for his fourth season to anchor the lineup. He boasts a 72.75 career scoring average with three career victories and nine top 10 finishes.
Sophomore Cory Whitsett and Bobby Wyatt also return for their second season with the Tide. Whitsett was a second-team All-American as a true freshman last season and the SEC Freshman of the Year after averaging a freshman record 71.39. Wyatt averaged 72.33 and was a second-team All-SEC selection and a member of the SEC All-Freshman team.
Alabama opens the season on Sept. 9-11 at the Carpet Capital Collegiate at The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, Ga. The Tide will be looking to defend their 2010 tournament title.
