Swinging through the fall

BY Bryan Ramos | THE RIDER

Golf is a game of focus, precision and execution. In the second year at UTRGV, the men and women’s golf programs are locked in on playing the game they love.

“One of our overriding themes is to love it,” Men’s Golf Head Coach Philip Tate said. “If you can’t love playing college golf, if you can’t love going out to the golf course each day and hanging out with eight friends, it shouldn’t be stressful, it shouldn’t be a hassle, it should be a fu n ride. Within reason, we try to keep a loose, fun environment. Within that atmosphere, you get a little more work out of people.”

Entering the second year as UTRGV, Tate and Women’s Golf Head Coach Risë Alexander were tasked with rebuilding the golf program. Alexander is in her third year at the head of the program while Tate is in his second year as the men’s head coach. Alexander, who before joining UTRGV spent 24 years as the women’s head golf coach at Oregon State University, said the transition to rebuilding a program was one she enjoyed.

“Having four seniors and a sophomore in my first season, last year was the first year I was able to really rebuild and also the first year as UTRGV, so it was a nice transition,” Alexander said. “I think it’s really important in women’s golf, in particular. We’re an individual sport that in college competes as a team, so we’re able to build relationships in the team that are respectful and lend themselves to a team atmosphere. We work really hard on putting first things first, taking care and being accountable towards each other.”

The two teams are in the middle of their four-tournament fall season. With two tournaments down and two to go, the teams are using this time to build their game and get a good feeling of where they stand against top competition throughout the nation.

Freshman Michael Rizzo, who hails from Brantford, Ontario, Canada, talked about the opportunity the early season tournaments provide.

“We’re playing in these big tournaments, which gets our name out there,” Rizzo said. “We play against them and we can see how we rank up against them. If we do well, it gives us confidence and at the same time, we know what we have to work on. Playing against those big-name schools is good for us because it lets us know where we stand.”

The men’s squad is young but already has a second-place finish under its belt after an all-around performance at the Roadrunner Invitational hosted by California State University, Bakersfield in September. The team is made up five freshmen and four returning student-athletes. The fall tournaments help prepare the team for the spring season and the finale, the Western Athletic Conference tournament.

“The fall season is a great opportunity to get everyone in the lineup and see everyone in competition,” Tate said. “The fall is good for confidence. Already, we’ve moved up in the rankings and the guys are feeding off that. Hopefully, the fall will give us the fuel to make it over the break and stay motivated and committed.”

The women’s team is coming off a seventh-place finish at the New Mexico State University Aggie Invitational and is gearing up for another trip to test its skills.

“We’re really becoming more adept at playing at different places with different grasses and trees,” Alexander said. “It’s important for the first four tournaments we go to–Portland, New Mexico State, Arkansas State and Hawaii–so all these different venues really helps them become better at their own game because they work on different shots and different strategies.”

Michelle Moroles, a sophomore and Sharyland native, begins her second year with the team.

“It’s good to go to the local courses and see the high school kids that are now freshmen who I knew when they were in junior high,” Moroles said. “I see them out there and ask them how they’re doing and they ask me how I’m doing and I get to tell them the places golf has taken me. It’s good to give back when we volunteer in the community.”

As the Vaqueros finish up the fall season and begin to prepare for the spring season, they are focused on improving day by day and moving the program forward.

“We just have to stay committed mentally and physically to keep a steady game to work to where we want to be,” Moroles said.

The women’s team will be back in action today and Tuesday as it takes part in the Lady Redwolves Classic in Jonesboro, Ark., hosted by Arkansas State. It closes out its fall season with a trip to Wahiawa, Hawaii, for the Rainbow Wahine Invitational hosted by the University of Hawaii.

The men’s team will be in New Mexico today for the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate, hosted by WAC rival New Mexico State University. It will close out the fall season with the “Give Em 5” Invitational hosted by the University of Texas at El Paso.