Let’s face it: it has been hard to follow college golf in the first two weeks of the season.
Let’s face it: it has been hard to follow college golf in the first two weeks of the season.
With the myriad issues Spikemark has faced providing scoring for college golf, numerous tournaments and schools have been forced to find other ways to keep track of their tournaments and provide live scoring. Some have used Golfstat and Golf Genius. However, the issues Spikemark has faced have made it difficult for coaches, players, parents, fans and more to simply follow the sport.
However, that doesn’t take away from what has been an incredible start to the year.
For the first time, a woman shot 60 in a tournament. A team won its first tournament in Division I. And much, much more.
Here are some storylines you may have missed from the start of the 2023-24 college golf season.
The 2023-24 college golf season got underway last week across the country, but there has been no shortage of issues with Spikemark and its scoring system. Although rankings weren’t going to be released until October, tournaments, teams and fans across the country have had myriad issues trying the scoring side of it.
A message on Spikemark’s website as recently as Wednesday morning said the site and accompanying apps are currently “Ground Under Repair” as it carries out essential maintenance work in order to deliver the best possible service.
“Providing timely and efficient information for all collegiate golf coaches, players, and fans is always our #1 priority, and we will update this page accordingly.”
A message on Spikemark’s website addressing the maintenance. (Spikemark Golf)
Spikemark was created and founded by former collegiate player and coach, Derek Freeman. In the initial release, the company said it would provide tournament scoring, real-time leaderboards, detailed statistics, in-depth analytics and media, allowing fans to keep track of their favorite teams and players. Spikemark would also provide real-time access to team schedules, up-to-date results and the latest rankings.
However, many tournament directors have been left scrambling because of the live scoring issues in the first week. Some tournaments have switched to Golf Genius or even to Golfstat. Others have been forced to keep scores on team websites.
With Spikemark down, there’s no way to track schedules or results all in one place. Even when the website wasn’t undergoing maintenance, many users reported extremely slow load times and issues navigating the site, as well as difficulty setting up tournaments and inputting scores.
It’s still early in the season, but Spikemark’s debut was anything but flashy. Here’s a look at reactions in the college golf world to the new scoring system.
However, Golfstat isn’t going away. The company partnered with the NCAA for more than 30 years and serviced all levels of college golf with rankings and scoring. Those who are addicted to refreshing Golfstat’s feed will continue to do so at certain events.
Kathy Laesch, Golfstat’s president, released a statement Wednesday regarding the future.
“The NCAA’s decision to no longer utilize Golfstat as the official scoring and rankings service will be a huge change for all. Please do know that we did our best effort to present a comprehensive outline for the future of Golfstat, what changes we had already made, and the many reasons we’ve been able to service ALL of college golf for so long. As we move forward, we will continue to pursue our passion and purpose to support college golf.
“We will still be offering live scoring for events that choose to utilize the service at an affordable price that you are accustomed to. Along with this, we will make sure to find a solution with the new scoring platform to make sure those scores are submitted in a timely manner. Thank you to those that have already reached out with their intentions to use Golfstat live scoring this 23-24 season. You should expect to see a portal to register your event on our homepage in early August.
“We look forward to continuing to work with all of you. We will provide updates as they become available. Thank you and good luck this 2023-2024 college golf season!”
The statement also noted Golfstat’s extensive database with college golf data and its goal to preserving and making the information available in the future.
Although Golfstat is no longer partnered with the NCAA, it will continue to provide live scoring at certain events in the coming season.
Oklahoma golfers Quade Cummins, Garrett Reband, and Kaitlin Milligan were named to the Arnold Palmer Cup USA Team.
With the NCAA canceling all sports for the rest of the academic year, everyone’s eyes turn to summer events.
Oklahoma golfers Quade Cummins, Garrett Reband, and Kaitlin Milligan were named to the Arnold Palmer Cup USA Team.
The APC is a Ryder Cup-style event that showcases the best collegiate golfers in the world. 12 men and 12 women from the United States square off against 12 men and 12 women from around the world in a three-day event which will be held at Lahinch Country Club in Lahinch, Ireland July 3-5.
Both Cummins and Reband had their senior seasons cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic but managed to keep Oklahoma at the top of the standings as the Sooners finished No. 1 in the final GolfWeek poll of the abbreviated season.
Fort Worth native, Reband, ranked No. 3 nationally by GolfStat and No. 21 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, secured five top-10 finishes and a shared individual win at the Puerto Rico Classic earlier this spring.
Cummins, a Weatherford, Okla., native is ranked No. 5 in the nation by GolfStat and No. 25 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. His play led the Sooners to two team wins with his best finish of the season coming at the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic in the fall where he finished second at 20-under-par.
The duo automatically qualified for the event based on the Cup’s points system.
Milligan, a junior from Norman, Okla., was a coaches/committee pick. Ranked No. 58 in the nation by GolfStat and No. 137 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Milligan has been on a hot streak over the past season with 15 top-20 finishes in her last 18 events.
This will not be the first time the APC has had representatives from Oklahoma. Just two years ago, Brad Dalke and Sooners head coach Ryan Hybl led the way for Team USA with a win over Team International in Evian, France.
For more information regarding the APC, click here.
