. ,.. .. i . .1'. rl ...!Y iNr.i
i v.v-
Spring Sports '91 The Daily lar rieeiweanesaay, reDruary z, iid
Men9 golf ready to
Burton, Moore
By Stewart Chisam
Assistant Sports Editor
UNC's Tee Burton doesn't sport a
domineering personality at least not
one as forceful as his 6-foot-4, 200
pound frame might suggest.
In contrast, the two-time All-ACC
golfer speaks silently, almost shyly.
When forced to talk about himself, he
quickly uses words like "teammates"
and "coaches."
But this season, a brooding confi
dence spills out between the honorable
mention All-America's humble words.
The senior knows he's good.
More importantly , Burton knows that
this year's team his team holds the
all-around talent capable of reaching
the apex of collegiate accomplishment
the NCAA championship.
"This year we are shooting not only
for the ACC title always our first and
primary goal but we would really
like to be in contention for the NCAA
(championship)," the Shelby native said.
Tee Burton
Burton's confidence is more than
warranted.
The Tar Heels return three of five
starters including two All-ACC per
formers from last year's squad that
placed seventh in the NCAA Tourna
ment. In addition, UNC, currently
ranked second nationally, is riding a
tide of fall-season successes that briefly
landed the Tar Heels atop the Taylor
Made collegiate poll.
All together, this new-found experi
ence, chemistry and confidence could
bring the Tar Heels a championship
come NCAA Tournament-time in June.
"The last couple of years, we always
thought that we had a really good team,"
Burton said. "But we never really played
well together. Golf is such an individual
sport that one or two players can't carry
the team. You need all five guys playing
well. That's the difference this year.
Everyone has played well at the same
time."
Everyone includes returning starters
John Aber, Pat Moore and, of course,
Burton. Burton, Moore and sophomore
Tom Scherrer should go 1-2-3 for the
Tar Heels, with senior Aber teeing off at
fourth and Bill Smith at fifth. Junior
David Wood, a Morehead Scholar, and
redshirt sophomore Steve Albright could
also crack the Tar Heel's starting five.
Moore, known for his slightly off
hand personality, garnered All-ACC
honors a year ago as he paced the team
with a 72.78 stroke average. This fall,
the Bismarck, N.D., native tied Burton
with a team-leading 72.45 average.
drive No. 2 Tar
Above all else, Moore, a junior eco
nomics major, gives UNC an explosive
threat who has the potential to shoot an
unearthly round each time he hits the
links.
"Pat is the kind of player that every
coach loves to have on his team because
he is a little bit dangerous, in that Pat
probably is capable of shooting the
lowest scores, certainly on this team
and maybe in college golf," 14th-year
head coach Devon Brouse said.
If another college golfer can match
Moore stroke for stroke on his best day,
it might be Burton. Not as explosive as
Moore, the speech communications
major counts on consistent play, expe
rience and a strong work ethic to keep
him on an even plane with his younger
compatriot.
"(Tee) is an excellent young man, a
coach's dream, so to speak," Brouse
said. "From his fall performance, one
can see that he can play with anybody in
college golf. His work ethic and lead
ership will be beneficial to this year's
squad."
Confident, yet cautious not to jinx
himself, Burton who fell two shots
shy of a tie for last year's ACC individual
championship - has set his sights on
realizing some lofty individual dreams
this year.
"I have some pretty high goals for
this year," he said. "I obviously would
like to make All-ACC again, and I'd
really like to be first-team All-America.
But I have to maintain my consistency.
I've played well at times, but I've also
played bad. If I can just keep my con
sistency and get a little luck, hopefully,
a lot of things can go my way."
Scherrer is another player looking
for a touch of luck and consistency to
solidify his game. The two-time New
York state champion stroked a 75.63
average this fall, but showed his finest
play in individual meets this summer
when he took home the North and South
Amateur championship. Now he looks
to repeat those individual performances
under the different auspices of team
competition.
'Tom had a great summer," Burton
said. "He hasn't really played as well
for the team yet as he does in the sum
mer, but I think a lot of that has been (his
inexperience). He's a sophomore now
and I think he's starting to get more
comfortable with the (team) situation."
One player who thrives on team
situations is Aber. A consummate
competitor, the Greensburg, Pa., native
performs like a true senior: He comes
through in the clutch.
"John is just a grinder," Burton said
of his roommate. "He doesn't always
hit the ball as well as everyone else,"lut
he seems to always play well when we
need him. He's not always the lowest
scorer on our team, but his score usually
counts and it's usually right around
par. He's a good leader for our team."
Smith, a talented but somewhat in
experienced redshirt sophomore, will
look to Aber's leadership as he strives
to improve his 75 career average with
the Tar Heels. This fall, Smith hit 74.25
strokes per round, prompting admiration
and expectations from his team
mates. "B ill's really a hard worker, and that
hard work is starting to pay off. Burton
said. "He's really starting to play well
for us. I think Bill is going to be one of
the keys to our success this season as tar
as us getting that fifth score in there all
the time.
Another player who could give the
Tee it mp
Heels in search
Tar Heels some solid play at the end of
the lineup is Wood. The Surrey, En
gland, native stroked a 77.75 average in
his three starts this fall and fell just two
strokes short of qualifying for the Brit
ish Open last summer.
But Wood is most known among his
teammates for his brains.
"David's a unique player for us in
that he might be the only Morehead
Scholar to ever play golf here," Burton
said.
DIRECTIONS TO
SOUTH SQUARE MALL:
From Chapel Hill and
1-40, take 15-501 north;
follow South Square signs.
of national title
Sadly, one Tar Heel who would have
been a major contributor to UNC's sea
son died this summer. Neal Sullivan, a
two-time honorable mention All
America, suffered fatal injuries last Aug.
2 as the result of a single-car accident.
He would have been a senior this season.
Well-respected as an athlete and as a
person, Sullivan's memory will live on.
"Neal was everybody's friend, and
he will always be in our thoughts,"
Scherrer said.
South Square Mall...
the angle you're looking for
in Style and Selection
Chapel Hill
493-2451
Men's Golf
Head Coach: Devon Brouse (Purdue 1 971 )
Career Record: 36 tournaments, 46 individual
championships (14th year)
Record at School: same
Assistant Coach: Billy Williford
1990 Record: ACC third, NCAA seventh
Starters ReturningLost: 32
Top Returnees: Pat Moore (Jr.), Tee Burton (Sr.),
Tom Scherrer (So.), John Aber (Sr.), Bill Smith
(So.), David Wood (Jr.), Lance Reid (So.), Hunter
Grove (So.), Steve Albright (So.)
Top Newcomers: Danny Albert (Altamonte
Springs, Fla.), Todd Kozlowsky (East Setauket,
N.Y.), Brian Mull (Goldsboro), David Rush
(Carmel, Ind.), Andrew Sapp (Raleigh), Lex
Tarumianz (Lookout Mountain, Tenn.), David
Von Canon (Sanford)
Facility: A.E. Finley Golf Course (18 holes; par
72; 6,685 yards)
With over 100 fine shops, restaurants
and theaters, including Dillard's,
Belk Leggett, JC Penney and Montaldos.
Blvd. & 15-501, Durham