Tag: NCAA Golf

Spikemark gets spiked; NCAA turns to Clippd for scores, rankings

Clippd bills itself as ‘a technology business founded and staffed by passionate golfers.’

Just five weeks into a new season, the NCAA has officially severed ties with Spikemark for its official scores and rankings.

The NCAA announced Monday that Clippd will take over after a series of false starts and empty promises from Spikemark.

“A leader in the golf technology industry,” according to the NCAA, Clippd will take over from Spikemark “following an agreed handover period.”

Clippd bills itself as “a technology business founded and staffed by passionate golfers” and is already providing stats to more than 100 Div. I, II and III programs.

The NCAA notes that Spikemark approached Clippd for help. Clippd reports its site has been able to publish more than 75 percent of all Div. I college golf tournaments.

In July, the NCAA announced Spikemark Golf would become the provider for all golf scoring and ranking services utilized by the NCAA beginning with the 2023-24 season. Spikemark took over the service role previously provided by Golfstat.

Nine days later, Golfstat responded with a statement saying the company wasn’t going away, though its role was going to be reduced.

The 2023-24 season was already underway when Spikemark posted a message on its website, labeling the non-functioning platform as “Ground Under Repair.”

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 were scrambling because of live-scoring issues in the initial week of competition. Some tournaments switched to Golf Genius or even back to Golfstat. Others kept scores on their own team websites.

In July the NCAA appeared confident in Spikemark’s technology.

“We are pleased to announce Spikemark as manager for NCAA golf scoring and ranking services,” Joni Comstock, NCAA senior vice president of championships, said in a July 2023 release. “Spikemark’s effective use of current technologies, including the implementation of a transparent ranking system with daily updates, will provide a statistical approach that has been widely adopted throughout the golf community, and one that will positively impact the user experience for our membership and the championships.”

Spikemark’s ranking system was developed in collaboration with Mark Broadie, who is widely known for his development of the Official World Golf Ranking algorithm and the modern statistical approach using “Strokes Gained” statistics. Broadie is also a 20-year member of the USGA’s handicap research team.

The NCAA’s release Monday said Broadie, “a pioneer in the world of golf analytics,” will be the ranking authority and is working with the Clippd team to provide individual and team rankings following the conclusion of the fall season.

“We are confident that Clippd will lead us through technology challenges faced during the 2023 fall season and serve as a valuable partner into the future, as well,” said Comstock. “The goal of this partnership is to fully deliver the quality services that our student-athletes and the college golf community deserves.”

– Golfweek’s Cameron Jourdan contributed to this article.

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UNC men’s golf team honored Saturday at Kenan Stadium

The UNC men’s golf team was honored for its historic 2022 campaign during Saturday’s UNC-App State football matchup.

There’s a lot of dominant athletic programs at UNC – men’s basketball, field hockey and women’s soccer, to name a few.

You can go ahead and add men’s golf to that list.

The Tar Heels’ 2022 season was their best finish in the NCAA Tournament since 1993 (tied for third). They won individual stroke play in the same tournament, saw five players win regular-season titles and four (David Ford, Ryan Burnett, Austin Greaser, Dylan Menante) capture All-America and All-ACC honors.

For team efforts on the links, UNC was recognized during Saturday night’s football game against App State.

Carolina begins its men’s golf season on Friday, Sept. 15, heading out west to Illinois for the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitation. The highlight of Carolina’s season, however, is when it heads to Scotland next month for the inaugural St. Andrews Links Collegiate Tournament.

UNC has enjoyed past success at St. Andrews, host of the world’s oldest golf tournament (The Open), winning the 2006 International Collegiate Tournament and also playing there in 2002 and 2010.

Between now and then, though, Carolina will play tournaments in Texas and Wilmington, N.C.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Noah Goldman named men’s golf assistant coach

UNC men’s golf team announces Noah Goldman as the new Assistant coach.

The North Carolina men’s golf team named Noah Goldman the program’s assistant coach.

UNC announced the decision Friday, with Go Heels sending a press release on the staff addition. In the press release, men’s golf coach Andrew DiBitetto talked about the decision to bring Goldman to Chapel Hill.

“Noah is a rising star,” says DiBitetto. “He joins our program from Oregon State, where Jon Reehoorn and the Beaver golf program are widely respected. Noah is relationship-based, communicates well, is incredibly intelligent and very competitive. He’s detail oriented, loves pressure and is committed to getting better each day. Noah had a strong playing career in college and is still a very good player today. During the interview process, I left each conversation more and more impressed. We are excited to learn more about Noah and work with him and welcome Noah, Ashley, Ellie and Mila into our Carolina Golf family.”

The signing should do wonders for the program, which has grown in the last few seasons—especially last year with UNC accounting for the ACC coach of the year DiBitetto and player David Ford.

This upcoming year has much promise, with standout golfer Ford leading the way for the Tar Heels.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

David Ford named first-team All-America

North Carolina Sophomore golfer David Ford snags first-team All-America honors.

North Carolina sophomore golfer [autotag]David Ford[/autotag] has been named to first-team All-America honors.

The announcement came Wednesday morning, with Ford being 1 of 11 golfers selected for such a high honor. Ford was the only Tar Heel to crack the list and joins Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht as one of the two to represent the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The honor acknowledges Ford’s remarkable year and the work he’s put on the green. Ford played a significant role for UNC, helping lead the program to new heights as they tied for third in the NCAA championship.

Ford had a historic season, leading Carolina in scoring at 69.89, the second-lowest average in UNC history. The sophomore also became the first Tar Heel to win ACC Player-of-the-Year honors, penciling his name in the record books.

Ford becomes UNC’s eighth first-team All-America, the second under head coach Andrew DiBitetto.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Tar Heels finish third in NCAA men’s golf tournament

The North Carolina men’s golf team finished third in the NCAA tournament after a 3-2 loss to Georgia Tech.

The North Carolina men’s golf team championship hopes came to a screeching end Tuesday after falling short to Georgia Tech 3-2 in the semifinal.

Despite the bitter ending, the Tar Heels made significant strides this season, tying for third in the NCAA championship, marking their best finish since 1993. Led by ACC’s golf coach of the year Andrew DiBitetto, UNC had a remarkable season, winning five team titles in other tournaments.

In a press statement released by the school, DiBitetto reflected on the loss.

“I’m incredibly proud of our guys because they play the game the right way. DiBitetto said. “They have so much grit, so much heart, they never gave up. Even going back to the quarterfinal match this morning, with three, four holes to go, it didn’t look like it was going to go our way. They just hung in there and kept hitting shots and kept marching along and executing. All of a sudden, we come out on top and then the same thing happens in the semifinal. It looked like that match might end pretty early. David Ford starts to flip it on the back nine and ends up winning his match. Peter Fountain was three down with six holes to play and gets it all the way to 18.”

DiBitetto ended the statement by crediting the Yellow Jackets for their performance.

“Credit to a really good Georgia Tech team. Especially Ross Steelman coming down the stretch. I didn’t see it, but I heard he made a clutch 12-footer on 16 and a 20-footer on 17. A big tip of the cap to them. They’re an incredible team.”

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Dylan Menante transfers from Pepperdine to North Carolina

Dylan Menante helped the Waves win the 2021 NCAA championship.

The college golf transfer portal had some more movement Friday as Dylan Menante has left Pepperdine for North Carolina.

Menante helped the Waves to the national championship at the 2021 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship. He was also the West Coast Conference Player of the Year that season.

But after three seasons playing for the southern California school, he’ll finish his college career in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

“I chose UNC because the school and coaches offer a critical balance between golf, growing as a person, academics and top-notch peers to surround my game” Menante said in a release sent by the Tar Heels athletic department. “I am looking forward to joining the Tar Heel program, but I also appreciate the support the Pepperdine community gave me the last three years.”

Menante is ranked 15th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

In the 2022 NCAA Championship, Pepperdine and North Carolina were among the eight teams to advance to the match-play portion of the event, with Pepperdine eliminating North Carolina to advance. Menante won his quarterfinal match but lost his semifinal match as Pepperdine was eliminated by Arizona State.

“All of us with Carolina Golf are thrilled Dylan chose to be a Tar Heel and is joining our family” UNC head coach Andrew DiBitetto said in a release. “He’s a winner, an All-American, a national champion and most importantly, an incredible young man. He’s one of the best amateurs in the world and immediately makes an already strong team even better. Clarkie (assistant coach Matt Clark), all our guys and I can’t wait to interact, compete and work with Dylan. We also look forward to helping him improve on and off the course.”

The Tar Heels return four starters: Ryan Burnett, David Ford, Peter Fountain and Austin Greaser.

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NCAA men’s golf regionals: Oklahoma gets the last laugh in Norman, Arizona’s big week, a pair of No. 9 seeds advance and more from Wednesday’s final rounds

Third-round recaps from all six men’s regionals across the country.

College golf’s championship season continued this week with men’s Division I regional play at six locations across the country.

Three regions had 13 teams and 10 individuals while the other three had 14 teams and five individuals, with 18 holes of stroke play each day from Monday, May 16 through Wednesday, May 18. The top five teams (30 total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six total) from each region advance to the NCAA Men’s Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, May 27-June 1.

Below you’ll find a recap from each regional as play concluded from all six sites.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual

J.R. Smith, former NBA player who became a college golfer, gets groundbreaking Lululemon NIL deal

The former NBA star is Smith is Lululemon’s first male golf ambassador.

J.R. Smith went to the NBA immediately following his high school graduation in 2004. The two-time NBA champion was a first-round draft pick of the New Orleans Hornets, but also played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers during his 16-year career.

After a long and successful career in the NBA, Smith walked on to the North Carolina A&T golf team in 2021. He is currently in his second semester of his freshman year as a full-time student.

According to ESPN’s Nick DePaula, J.R. Smith signed a name, image and likeness deal with Lululemon, a popular activewear brand. Smith is Lululemon’s first male golf ambassador. Smith is not able to wear Lululemon at NCAA sanctioned events, but he can wear Lululemon in the company’s branded advertisements.

Smith has been a hot topic in college sports not only because of his professional basketball career but his willingness to go back to college and earn his degree. Smith signed with Excel Sports Management for NIL representation in January and his agent, Lance Young told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski at the time that many golf apparel and equipment manufacturers were interested in sponsoring Smith.

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J.R. Smith, who made $90 million in the NBA, might be getting an NIL deal as a college golfer

Amazing.

J.R. Smith is continuing to set the bar as a former pro athlete turned student athlete, and we love to see it.

The ex-NBA player has signed with Excel Sports for NIL representation. It’s the first such deal for a high-profile former professional, ESPN reports.

Smith, now a freshman golfer at North Carolina A&T, is receiving significant NIL interest from video game companies and golfing equipment manufacturers that could earn him well into the six figures, according to the report. Under the new NCAA rule, his deal with Excel will allow him to cash in on the endorsement opportunities his name, image and likeness provide.

Smith, 36, won two titles and a Sixth Man of the Year award during a 16-year career in the NBA, with the 2019-20 season being his last. Though he expressed interest in suiting up again amid the wave of COVID-related absences in the league this winter, Smith has enjoyed a successful transition into life as a Div. I student-athlete at North Carolina A&T, an HBCU in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Chronicling everything from midterms to his first GHOE (Greatest Homecoming on Earth) to a 4.0 first semester and, of course, the golfing, Smith has built a significant audience on social media. He has nearly seven million followers between Instagram and Twitter. 

During his NBA career, Smith made over $90 million in salary. Now, he’ll be able to cash in on the interest his post-NBA journey has garnered. As a student, there are still limitations on what and how he can endorse, but the opportunities should be endless for someone as recognizable as he is.

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NCAAs were supposed to be going on right now, but Arizona State, Grayhawk must look ahead to next season

The highly ranked ASU teams as well as host Grayhawk must wait another year for the NCAAs because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a best case scenario for Arizona State, the women’s golf team would have been playing for a ninth NCAA championship on Wednesday at Grayhawk Golf Club with the men’s team on deck for a chance at its third national title starting Friday.

Instead, the ASU teams and Grayhawk must wait another year because of the coronavirus pandemic for the NCAA Championships to make their debut in Scottsdale in what was to have been a three-year run.

The 2021 and 2022 men’s and women’s nationals still will be played on Grayhawk’s Raptor course and ASU is bidding for 2023 to replace 2020. The NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments have been held at the same site since 2015, but Grayhawk will be the first site to host in consecutive years with a three-year award made in June 2017.

“We had a short timeline to get ready,” said Gregg Tryhus, Grayhawk managing partner. “The team here has done an incredible job, the community has stepped up, the Thunderbirds were ready to go, ASU was fully engaged. We were ready to pull it off. It would have been as could as you could do in that window of time. Now that we have another 12 months, we’re going to be ready for next year.”

Sun Devils were in good position

The ASU teams were poised to contend when the season ended March 12 with the NCAA cancelling winter and spring championships. The Sun Devil women were ranked No. 3 nationally and the men No. 6 by Golfstat, with both coaches believing the best was yet to come.

“We had just won in Mexico with our younger guys and Blake (Wagoner),” ASU men’s coach Matt Thurmond said. “We had this feeling within the team we’re really trending in the right direction, which we always knew we would. Our goal was to be at our best today, and we were on our way.”

ASU women’s coach Missy Farr-Kaye said, “We really hadn’t really clicked yet, but you want to peak at the end. You don’t need to be No. 1 in January. You need to be No. 1 today.”

Key seniors returning

To that end, both teams are welcoming back senior stars who otherwise would have been finishing their college careers this year. The NCAA is allowing spring sport seniors whose season was cut short to return if they wish.

Thurmond announced on Wednesday that Chun An Yu, already a two-time U.S. Open qualifier and third individually at the 2019 NCAA Championships, will join Wagoner as returning seniors.

Arizona State Chun An Yu
Arizona State’s Chun An Yu.

“Kevin (Yu) had been prepared to turn pro,” Thurmond said. “He’d gotten a good feel of where he stacked up. Basically he would have been the equivalent of a first or second overall draft pick coming out of college golf.

Mehaffey also was waiting to see if she would have a chance to qualify for the LPGA Tour, which cancelled its Q-school on May 20.

“She was ready to graduate and finish school,” Farr-Kaye said. “She’s trying to figure out whether she wants to do graduate level classes or start a minor (degree).

“Hopefully she’ll get to play in the ANA (Inspiration, an LPGA major tournament postponed until Sept. 10-13). We want her to be ready to go to Q-school in 2021 and be ready to be the rock star she is. We want her coming back to be very positive for her. She’s the leader, it’s very natural for her, and it’s really been her team for two years.”

New recruits on the way in

Both teams are adding elite talent — Jeewon Park for the men, Ashley Menne out of Xavier Prep for the women — that will add fuel to the daunting prospect of a national-title sweep, something the Sun Devils managed in 1990.

The ASU women won their eight national title in 2017, when Monica Vaughn also was the individual champion. The Sun Devil men are in pursuit of their first team title since 1996 and third overall.

“I believe we have the most talented team in college golf right now,” rising senior Mason Andersen said of the men before knowing Yu was returning. “I think our team is so deep we could travel with the B team and they would probably compete just fine. That’s what breeds competition within our team. It’s really tough to get in the top five and if you get in, you’d better make sure you play well because somebody might take your spot.”

There will be a home course familiarity advantage at Grayhawk, provided the Sun Devils make it through sectionals to nationals, and with the Arizona heat.

Andersen of Chandler already knows the Raptor course well.

“If you want to go out there and study the course then there shouldn’t be any surprises by the time nationals roll around,” he said. “You should know that course like the back of your hand. It’s a tricky course, a lot of elevated greens and slopes you might not see the first time around. It’s something we need to take advantage of.”

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