Mon, Oct 13 2008
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Published May 29, 2007 01:12 am - The Missouri Southern Lions had a great turnaround this spring. The Lions, who endured a tumultuous fall season on the golf course, had players step up across the board and improve their scores. But the one thing that remained the same was MIAA rival Washburn remaining unchallenged on its way to another conference championship. Graham Cox: Lions golf team has bright future The Missouri Southern Lions had a great turnaround this spring. The Lions, who endured a tumultuous fall season on the golf course, had players step up across the board and improve their scores.
But the one thing that remained the same was MIAA rival Washburn remaining unchallenged on its way to another conference championship. Lions coach Kevin Greim has been hard at work since the season ended, though, in an effort to bolster his roster and make a run at a Division II title. Greim signed two high school golfers in recent weeks: Galena (Mo.) native Jared Essary, a two-time Missouri Class 1 state champion, and Oklahoma state finalist Jamie Voegeli, a native of Muskogee. Justin Johnson, of Sioux Falls, S.D., also has signed a letter of intent with MSSU. “What we must do to challenge Washburn is have guys who can shoot par or sub-par rounds of golf in order to get us to the next level,” Greim said. “Our returning guys know that they’re going to have to shave some strokes to get out of the mid 70s and into the low 70s. All of our guys coming in definitely are capable of shooting in the low 70s. Whether that actually happens or not, is another issue. “The three kids that we’ve signed so far will challenge for spots on our starting roster,” he continued. “Essary is a very competitive kid and I like his head a lot. Voegeli can shoot sub-par rounds during high competition, and Johnson is very talented player who should be able to accomplish whatever he sets out to do on the golf course. “There definitely is going to be some increased pressure on these guys as they adapt to the college scene. We’ll see if their ability to shoot par in high school translates into the same kind of success on this level.” Scouting players is a task that requires increased time and effort, which is a stretch for many D-II golf coaches. Coaches at this level usually are only around part-time because they have many other jobs and activities to manage. “The great thing about recruiting high school kids is that their scores don’t lie,” Greim said. “When you look at a resume and (that golfer’s) scores are consistently in the upper 70s, you know that he probably doesn’t project very well to college golf. However, if I happen to find a kid who generally shoots around par, I’m going to be fairly confident in my assessment that he is a player who can help the team. “When I’m actually able to see somebody in person, I look for consistency in ball flight and consistency in swing. If they have a repeatable swing, and their shots look the same, you know they have something to work with. “There’s also a fine line between being intensely competitive on the golf course and losing your head when things aren’t going your way. I want a player who knows how to manage his level of intensity.” Missouri Southern has a penchant for fielding competitive teams year-round. And while the Lions’ golf team has stayed competitive, they haven’t won a tournament in two years. Southern did nab second place in three of their spring tournaments this season, and Greim has faith his players will continue to fight regardless of their current status. “As long as you have a chance to finish toward the top of every tournament, then you have to ride that out and put in the team that gives you the best chance to win that particular tournament,” Greim said. “We haven’t had to start playing for next year yet, and I don’t anticipate us having to do that any time soon.” 
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