COLLEGE GOLF
G •
ments. But he blossomed in his first two years at Stanford,
earning national player-of-the-year
honors last season as a sophomore. Cardinal coach Conrad Ray
tripped across McNealy, essentially, because he grew up in nearby Portola Valley and used Stanford as his home course growing up. Ray saw him win the club championship several times and, after McNealy expressed interest in Stanford, was drawn to his athleti- cism and work ethic. Ray didn’t expect McNealy’s rapid
rise, but it shows what he means in referring to the “pitfalls” of relying too much on recruiting rankings. Ray also seeks “upside” in players, and the resilience to handle inevitable defeats. “The difference is the lead time
on the forecast—it takes longer for a golfer to mature,” Ray said. “In a sport like football or basketball, re- actionary sports, it’s more about how fast kids are, how high they can jump, things like that. In golf, it takes longer to figure out.”
Those who figure it out
quickly are tempted by the riches of turning pro. Woods left Stanford after two years and Rodgers after three—Michael Kim also departed Cal in 2013, after two seasons—but they are the exception, not the rule.
This could become a
particular issue in the coming years in the women’s game, where younger and younger LPGA stars are emerging. “That’s becoming more of a
concern, sure,” Walker said. “But you can’t recruit with that fear, or you won’t go after the game changers. You have to be all in.” Some players with the skills and
drive to become game changers— such as Lorena Ochoa (Arizona) and Alison Lee (UCLA)—left school early. Others, like Stacy Lewis (Arkansas), stayed all four years. Walker knows Stanford offers
a prestigious blend of academics and athletics, so she hopes even the biggest-name players will stay and earn their degree. And that’s exactly
Stanford Coach Conrad Ray
what happened with Stackhouse, who snagged an NCAA title as a bonus.
he college game has changed in another important way: Many young golfers arrive on campus
with a personal team in place, starting with a swing instructor. That puts the player’s college coach in a predicament. “Fifteen or 20 years ago, we were
trying to figure out the best way to help players,” Desimone said. “Now they all have their own coaches. We have to be really careful we don’t cross wires with their instructors.” Desimone and most college coaches
thus don’t spend the majority of their time counseling players on swing mechanics. There are exceptions— Ray mentioned Northwestern’s Pat Goss, who still serves as NU alum Luke Donald’s personal instructor— but coaches usually make a bigger impact in other areas. Walker called herself a “game
Cal Coach Steve Desimone with associate head coach Walter Chun
26 /
NCGA.ORG / FALL 2015
manager,” helping players identify their strengths and weaknesses and formulat- ing a plan to improve. The equation often begins with how they think their way around the course. “Most of these kids are at a C-level in course management when they get here,” said Walker, a three-time all- Pac-10 selection in her playing days at Cal. “We can bring them up to a B and eventually an A. The short game is where I spend the bulk of my time with the kids.”
PHOTOS: CAL ATHLETICS; (ABOVE)
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