The Wisconsin men's golf team saw its season come to a close on Sunday in West Lafayette, Ind. with a disappointing 11th place finish in the Big Ten Championships. While the young roster now moves forward into the 2011-'12 season without a coach, the program has plenty of promise.
Despite the underwhelming finish, the Badgers had two individuals place in the top 35, led by freshman Stephane Dubois' four-round total of 301, good for a tie for 26th in the individual competition. Sophomore Chris Meyer also had a solid finish, posting a 304 total that was good for a T32 finish.
UW men's golf seems to have plenty of upside even after a lackluster season and the departure of head coach Jim Schmidt. The Badgers will return their entire seven-man roster, a roster that had been composed of three freshman and four sophomores.
Despite their youth, the Badgers experienced flashes of brilliance in an otherwise difficult season. Dubois impressed in his debut season, showing tremendous consistency by finishing in the top 50 in every event.
With a new coach on tap and a new practice facility in the pipeline, the future of Wisconsin men's golf is filled with promise. Since the departure of former NCAA Regional champion Dan Woltman, the Badgers have not seen the postseason and have struggled to two consecutive 11th place finishes in the Big Ten Championships.
Now hoping to get back on track both in terms of playing and recruiting, it seems like things are starting to turn around, the beginnings of a rebuilding process that should intensify when the new coach is announced sometime in the summer.
