LACK OF BRITS AND IRISH IN LEADING US COLLEGE RANKINGS
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
The days when British and Irish students such as Luke Donald (Northwestern), Graeme McDowell (Alabama), Paul Casey (Arizona State), David Inglis (Tulsa) and Janice Moodie (San Jose State), to name but five - and there were more, were high fliers on the US college golf rankings have long gone.
Just take a look at the present Golfweek Sagarin rankings:
MALE STUDENTS
No 1 Peter Uihlein (Oklahoma State). American.
HIGHEST RANKED BRITISH OR IRISH STUDENTS
No 50 James Byrne (Arizona State). Scottish.
No 58 Kevin Phelan (North Florida). Irish.
No 164 Jack Hiluta (South Alabama). English.
FEMALE STUDENTS
No 1 Megan McChrystal (Louisiana State). American.
HIGHEST RANKED BRITISH OR IRISH STUDENTS
No 48 Stephanie Meadow (Alabama). Northern Ireland.
No 99 Ellie Givens (Denver). English.
No 123 Sally Watson (Stanford). Scottish.
No 163 Raffi Dywer (Oregon). English.
No 198 Sian Evans (East Tennessee State). English
No 236 Katie Mundy (Florida International). English.
So what's the reason? There would seem to be just as many British and Irish teenage golfers being recruited by American colleges and universities as there ever were.
But the top prospects - those with obvious Walker Cup or Curtis Cup team potential - seem to be staying at home these days. Some pundits would say that it must be a good thing for the talent drain to the States to have diminished.
But, the other side of the coin is that players like Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Paul Casey will tell you it was the exposure to the quality competition of the US college circuit on a regular basis for three or four years that developed their potential far more quickly and to a higher level than if they had stayed at home.
It will be interesting to see if Ireland's outstanding Maguire twins - Lisa and Leona - now 16 years old and both with handicaps of +3.5 - are sent by their mum and dad to an American college in a couple of years' time, always assuming, of course, that's where the Curtis Cup age record-breakers WANT to
go.
Any comments? E-mail your view to Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
The days when British and Irish students such as Luke Donald (Northwestern), Graeme McDowell (Alabama), Paul Casey (Arizona State), David Inglis (Tulsa) and Janice Moodie (San Jose State), to name but five - and there were more, were high fliers on the US college golf rankings have long gone.
Just take a look at the present Golfweek Sagarin rankings:
MALE STUDENTS
No 1 Peter Uihlein (Oklahoma State). American.
HIGHEST RANKED BRITISH OR IRISH STUDENTS
No 50 James Byrne (Arizona State). Scottish.
No 58 Kevin Phelan (North Florida). Irish.
No 164 Jack Hiluta (South Alabama). English.
FEMALE STUDENTS
No 1 Megan McChrystal (Louisiana State). American.
HIGHEST RANKED BRITISH OR IRISH STUDENTS
No 48 Stephanie Meadow (Alabama). Northern Ireland.
No 99 Ellie Givens (Denver). English.
No 123 Sally Watson (Stanford). Scottish.
No 163 Raffi Dywer (Oregon). English.
No 198 Sian Evans (East Tennessee State). English
No 236 Katie Mundy (Florida International). English.
So what's the reason? There would seem to be just as many British and Irish teenage golfers being recruited by American colleges and universities as there ever were.
But the top prospects - those with obvious Walker Cup or Curtis Cup team potential - seem to be staying at home these days. Some pundits would say that it must be a good thing for the talent drain to the States to have diminished.
But, the other side of the coin is that players like Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Paul Casey will tell you it was the exposure to the quality competition of the US college circuit on a regular basis for three or four years that developed their potential far more quickly and to a higher level than if they had stayed at home.
It will be interesting to see if Ireland's outstanding Maguire twins - Lisa and Leona - now 16 years old and both with handicaps of +3.5 - are sent by their mum and dad to an American college in a couple of years' time, always assuming, of course, that's where the Curtis Cup age record-breakers WANT to
go.
Any comments? E-mail your view to Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Labels: US COLLEGES
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 8:50:00 pm
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