The Makings of a Promising Spring Season A Look at the Men’s Golf Team

He’s got a mean-looking squint that gazes about 150 yards past you while his lips move, and teeth don’t. His developed, coherent analysis of his mature playing style and athletics-academics balance make you feel like you’re wasting his time, and yours. His monotone responses to questions and split-second smile that might just crack at a snide remark turn the Union patio from a mid-afternoon social space into the press box at the next major championship. That the back of his neck is already sunburnt in early February gives you the impression: this guy doesn’t think about golf like you and me.

For sophomore Will Davis ‘25, this season isn’t about putting up low numbers and winning tournaments as an end. It’s a means for his very survival—it’s his sustenance. The beauty of the game, the competition, the mental torture that only exists in this most taxing of sports fills the veins and lungs of this young man like fresh air and clear water.

This mentality has brought the Davidson College Men’s Golf Team three A-10 championship victories in the last five years. It’s made Davis an A-10 rookie of the year and teammates like Alex Heffner ‘24, Ethan Hall ‘23, and Brian Garrett ‘23 excel beyond what any novice might think is possible to do with a little white ball and a stick with a funny- shaped mallet at the end. Indeed, while many competitors in their own fields believe they can out-run and out-lift these steady-handed archers, the rampaging psychological stallion of the collegiate golfer’s mind could only be reined in by our most skilled players. Hell, they thrive off it. Davis says the pressure— the need to sink a sliding 15-footer, to get up and down, to hit that perfect baby cut 280 up against the wind that the team so desperately needs—is fun. Fun!

But of course, our young Buddhas do not learn the craft of managing their mental game on their own. Senior Brian Garrett, and many of his teammates, credit Assistant Coach L.D. Simmons and his work for their collective collectedness on the course.

Garrett went into the offseason a balanced player, but needed to dial in his driver to get it as sharp as the rest of his arrows in his quiver. Some amateur, immature players might fault their equipment for their missed shots and make a trip over to Dick’s Sporting Goods to solve the problem. But Garrett, the seasoned veteran, knew where to go instead. With Coach Simmons by his side throughout the long, dark winter, the two worked not on adjusting the shaft, grip, or head of his mighty rifle, but the worries, anxieties, and teachings that buzz around his head during the backswing, turn, and follow-through. That is, they ridded him of them. With a free swing and a clear head,

Garrett scored himself a solid two over-par for the 54-hole spring season-opener at Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama.

Coming off an unexpected finger injury this off-season, Davis proved he still has the right stuff and led the team with a score of even par for the tournament. The course played fair, said Davis, although the weather on the final day could have been better, with the wind whipping up towards the end. His putter, the same trusty Scottie Cameron he’s used since he was in middle school, was working for him especially well. All in, Davis didn’t have much to complain about, and he said that the team performed better at this tournament than when they played it last year.

The prospect of being A-10 champions for a fourth time seems to add no more pressure to the team than they’ve already experienced. Talking with Head Coach Tim Straub, competing at this high caliber with these high expectations is merely business as usual. Of course, there are four new members of the team. This might handicap a lesser program, but the rock-steady Wildcats feel their new presence only adds depth and versatility to the roster. Any of the nine players could fill one of the five spots for a tournament. Those new guys—Jackson Bode ‘26, Price Miller ‘26, and Irishman Mel Deasy ‘26—will get to prove their stuff this weekend in a tournament at North Carolina State University. Sophomore transfer Josh Stuart ‘25 already shows he fits right in, scoring an admirable three over-par at the tournament in Alabama. No one on this team shows any sign of angst or anxiety. The seniors fill their leadership roles like they were fitted for them at Golf Galaxy. The players lock in during practice and build their confidence throughout the season, continuously reassuring themselves with each shot that, yes, they do really have the right stuff.

The next tournament which will include a traditional starting five will be over spring break down at Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina. Then, it’s a quick turn-around as the boys head to beautiful St. Simon’s Island for a three-day event at Sea Palms Resort. Two more tournaments after that and then it’s down to Jack’s Reunion Course in Orlando for the A-10 championship. There’s a lot of golf to be played between now and then, and the Wildcats won’t be without competition. The Virginia Commonwealth University will be one to keep on the radar as the Wildcats make their march from one links to the other. But if the initial impression of the season from teammates and coaches is anything to go by, and I certainly think it is, we are going to be treated to some very special showings this spring.