BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - On one side, the excitement of a first-year head coach leads the way, while the other is spearhead by upperclassmen leadership as both WKU men's and women's golf teams begin their spring championship season on Monday.
For first-year head coach Adam Gary, a successful fall season has given promise to the potential of a young yet experienced Lady Topper lineup.
"We are trending in the right direction," Gary said. "The team has been working hard to make the most of their opportunities and we are going back to four courses they played last spring, so there will be some familiarity wih the courses."
According to Gary, it will be on the upperclassmen in junior Swedish imports Ellinor Haag and Michaela Bordeianu, as well as senior and native Kentuckian April Butler to help the freshmen class along.
"Our upperclassman leadership will be very important this spring," Gary noted. "We have a very talented group of freshmen who can play as well as anyone, but you can't duplicate experience and that's something we need our leaders to bring to the course every day."
Haag finished inside the top 20 in every event in the fall while the team had four top-four finishes in six of their events, including a championship at the Butler Fall Golf Invitational.
On the men's side, head coach Phillip Hatchett leads a team comprised of nine upperclassmen (five seniors and four juniors) of his 12-man roster sheet. It's that upperclassman experience the fifth-year head coach things will carry his team to a Conference USA championship later this season.
"We are really putting in some quality work preparing for the season to start," Hatchett said. "All of our players are totally driven to being the best they can be every day. I am so very proud of our players - they are of the highest quality and a total pleasure to be around."
In the fall, the Hilltoppers tallied three top-10 finishes through five events including a second place finished in the Kenny Perry Invitational at Olde Stone.
"The support our players have at WKU is second to none, and with that continued support, we have the opportunity to thrive beyond their wildest dreams," added Hatchett. "That is what drives us to work hard every day, preparing for success."
The Hilltoppers begin their season at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate while the Lady Toppers are at the USA Women's Invitational. Both events are hosted by South Alabama.
Both squads are also looking forward to building a competitive resume heading into the school's inaugural C-USA championship event. The women tee off from Fort Myers, Fla., on April 20 while the men's conference event will be held in Texarkana, Ark., beginning April 26.
How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper and Lady Topper Golf, follow the programs via social media @WKUMensGolf and @WKUWomensGolf on Twitter.
