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ykes didn’t win the most Atlantic


Coast Conference titles or coach the most All-Americans during his time at N.C. State, although he mentored some of golf ’s top professionals in Vance Heafner, Tim Clark and Carl Pettersson. What Sykes did manage to do was accomplish a difficult balancing act between the course, the classroom and producing classy young men. “Coach didn’t sugar coat things or BS any-


one,” said Pettersson, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour. “It’s a quality that is rare and becoming harder to find. But Coach also had the remarkable ability to read his players and know when to push harder and when to take some pressure off. Winning tournaments was always a priority, but he valued his play- ers for more than just what they could give him on the course. I couldn’t have played for a better coach or better person. In fact, with- out his input and guidance I possibly could have missed the opportunity to carry on towards a pro career. Even aſter turning pro, the relationship with Coach hasn’t ended. I still value his advice, his encouragement, and all that he does to remain involved with me, my career and my family.” Sykes would likely describe himself as just


a North Carolina country boy. Tat Southern cultural difference certainly didn’t hin- der his ability to mentor golfers from around the globe, whether it was


the Swede Pettersson, or fostering a South African connection that produced Clark, or a more recent Canadian pipeline in which Matt Hill, whose eight wins in 2009 under Sykes tied the NCAA record held by Tiger Woods for individual victories in a season. Sykes graduated from N.C. State in 1968


and took over the golf program three years later with a starting salary of $200. “Well, I got season football tickets from


coach (Al) Michaels, too,” Sykes said of his starting salary. “I got a helluva raise the next year though; it went up to $1,000. It was just part time. I did it on my days off. I never thought it was going to be a career.” He has never leſt, among other things help-


ing usher in the construction of the school’s own golf course – Lonnie Poole Golf Club – and with it a sparkling new golf facility. “I was just always worried about getting


fired,” he said. “I never really had a contract. I guess I’ve been on one-year deals ever since. I’ve been hiding all these years. If you enjoy what you’re doing and you’re given the opportunity to keep doing it that’s fantastic. How many people go to work every day and get to do something they want to do? I always considered myself very lucky.” Sykes has led the Wolfpack to 23 NCAA


regional appearances, 12 appearances in the NCAA Championships and the 1990 ACC Championship. During his tenure, Sykes had 47 All-ACC selections and 34 All-Americans, and was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001,


proudly wearing the ring he was awarded. “I’ve got several championship rings but


this one is everybody’s ring because I didn’t hit a damn shot,” Sykes said. Sykes has so many funny anecdotes – both


on the off the golf course – they are too numerous to list. But a few stand out that are worth mentioning: • Ara Parseghian called Sykes on his home


phone his first year as N.C. State golf coach to inquire about a player coming to play golf in Raleigh. Sykes didn’t believe it was actually the legendary Notre Dame football coach. “I picked up the phone and he said ‘Tis is Ara Parseghian. I said, ‘Well, you’ve got George Washington on the phone.’ He said, ‘No, no, really and I’ve got a golfer here and I said, ‘How about sending us some football players, we could really use some.”’ It really was Parseghian. • Sykes met Clark at the Raleigh-Durham


International Airport without having ever seen the South African tee it up. He was recommended by Hall of Famer Nick Price, who said that Clark was better than his current All-Americans at the time Kelly Mitchum and Mark Slawter. Sykes was a non-believer. Te rest is classic Sykes. “He got him off the plane and we’re near Wildwood Green and I said, ‘I’ve got to see this guy hit some balls because I hadn’t seen him hit a shot yet.’ He pulled his clubs out and


he had head covers on his irons. I thought to myself ‘What the hell have I done now, nobody has cover on their irons.’ I remem- ber it was a cold day and them 5-irons were landing one aſter one right on top of each other and I said, ‘OK, you can keep those head covers.’” • It was during the 1998-99 college season


that Pettersson reached a par-5 in two, but was facing an 80-foot putt on a three-tiered green. “Coach Sykes came marching out on the green and says ‘I’ve been standing here all day, nobody has two-putted from there so just go ahead and three-putt and get it over with.’ Tat was typical Coach - he knew how to take the pressure off of the situation, and maybe he used some reverse psychology. Whatever it was, I two-putted for birdie.” • Sykes’ profile photo on Facebook is of


him on a bull. Tere is of course a story behind this, too. “If you win the tournament at Bull’s Bay the coach has to get on the bull. Well, I’m scared of a cow. When I was a kid about 6 years old I went cow farming and I looked up and there was cow right over my shoulder and I ran in the house and wouldn’t let anybody out the door. Now, all of the sud- den I’ve got to get on this bull. I just hopped up there right away. I started feeling sick with power, you know feeling pretty good up there and then I looked down and this guy who is holding this bull with a chain. I said, ‘If this bull wants to break this chain he’s going to so I got off pretty quickly.”’


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