As senior Brandon Detweiler gazed downwards on the faded green fairways of Lonnie Poole Golf Course, the reality of State once again hosting its own tournament seemed to sink in.
“It means so much to have our own home course,” Detweiler said. “We finally get a real home course advantage.”
When the transfer from Old Dominion tees it up this weekend at the Wolfpack Spring Open, Raleigh’s nearby skyline will be a welcome sight for several different reasons. While Detweiler has witnessed the birth and growth of the valuable home course, his current attention is on the Wolfpack gaining momentum for next week’s ACC Tournament.
“Obviously, a win would be huge,” Detweiler said. “If you win, your confidence level goes through the roof. There’s a lot of local knowledge out here and I think we can pull it off.”
The man who did pull it off in the Pack’s first home tournament of the season was freshman Albin Choi. The young Canadian won twice during the fall schedule and finished second in last week’s River Landing Intercollegiate.
“I always try to keep a clear mindset going into a tournament,” Choi said. “I never really go in thinking I should win, but I know in the back of my head that I can. We’ll see how things unfold this week and I’ll go out there and give it everything I have.”
While experiencing an on-campus advantage for just the third time in program history has its positive effects, Choi said that the growth of the team is the major factor in the team’s success this weekend.
“I think our team definitely matured from the fall season,” Choi said. “We’ve been through a lot and we’ve been playing some good golf recently.”
For team members and local golfers of the area, one contrast from October’s event is certain – Lonnie Poole not only looks different in the spring, but also plays differently as well. With seasonally dormant grass being absent during the fall season but resurfacing seven months later, several course conditions have changed.
“The course was a lot more receptive in the fall,” Choi said. “Now the greens have gotten a lot faster and the course is just harder.”
In his 39th season as head coach of the Wolfpack, Richard Sykes is certainly no stranger to the winter’s seasonal effect on triangle area courses. Sykes admitted that the best possible conditions for North Carolina golf are traditionally in the fall.
“In October, it’s about as good as it’s going to get,” Sykes said. “This time of they year it’s good, but it’s just growing back. If you look at the fairways, they are starting to get green but they are not thick yet.”
As for the advantage of playing at the familiar Arnold Palmer-designed venue, Sykes noted that the rewards are not limited exclusively to the tournament itself.
“We get to play at home, we don’t have to travel, and we don’t have to miss any school,” Sykes said. “At the same time, we’re preparing for next week. It’s a good opportunity for us.”
The expectations that many team members hinted at were no different than those of their experienced head man. With Choi’s win at State’s host tournament in the fall, the competition within the squad has Sykes smiling.
“If you ask Albin (Choi), he’s expecting to win,” Sykes said. “If you ask any of the other guys, they’re expecting to win, too. Hopefully they will play well enough to battle each other as well as the other teams.”
The weekend tournament will be State’s last stop before participating in the ACC Tournament next weekend. The competition will be held at Old North State Club in London, N.C. next Friday through Sunday.
