Sports

Coach Polk, senior Maxwell lead Tech men’s golf into the 2012-2013 season

Head golf coach Polk Brown is in the process of getting his athletes ready to start the 2012-2013 season.
Brown is in his second season as Tech’s head golf coach and is a former Golden Eagle golfer from 2001-2006.
“It’s a lot of fun being on the other side of things,” Brown said. “I really appreciate the opportunity.”
 Brown said his main goal for his golfers is to help them get their degrees and make golf as fun as possible for them.
The golf team’s first tournament of the season is the Mason Rudolph Championship Sept. 21-23 at Vanderbilt University.
The tournament has a large field of Division-I schools such as Vanderbilt University, The University of Mississippi and Middle Tennessee State University.
Brown said that going to big tournaments such as the Vanderbilt one is a great privilege. Normally, a team has to win the conference to get an invitation.
The tournaments at Vanderbilt and South Carolina the following weekend will be good for Tech’s program and for the golfers as individuals.
“Obviously I want guys that can play good, consistent golf,” Brown said. “I want a player with high character and that puts a lot of stock into the opportunity and knows what a privilege it is.”
Team member and Cookeville native Lee Maxwell falls right into that category.
Maxwell was the only freshman golfer on the team four years ago. Now he’s the only senior.
“It’s fun taking on a leadership role and helping out the younger guys,” Maxwell said. “Hopefully, I’ll leave a good mark here at Tech.”
Maxwell’s ultimate goal is for the team to win the Ohio Valley Conference championship.
He thinks there is a better chance of winning this season with the addition of four new golfers.
“It’s hard to be as motivated with three or four guys on the team, knowing that you will all get to be in the tournaments,” Maxwell said.
With the four extra golfers, there is a lot more in-house competition to push each other during qualifying.  Only the top five will get to participate in the tournaments on the weekends.