Sept. 2, 2008

The second place finish at the 2008 Atlantic 10 Men's Golf Championship not only changed the mindset of the Dayton Flyers program but showed that it could compete and beat the biggest of the big boys when the pressure was on.

Since then UD has hired a new head coach, released another challenging fall schedule and had two Flyers compete in one of the most prestigious golf tournaments, the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship.

With all of the recent success UD believes the program has the momentum to be recognized on a national level. Not only was the second place finish the best in the program's history, but two Flyers, Rob Chappell and Chris Woeste, established themselves among the top returning golfers in the conference.

One look up and down the rest of the roster shows plenty of talent, leadership and potential. Now the Flyers and first-year head coach Chris Hale face another challenge: exceeding expectations.

SENIORS
This might be the most stable group on the roster providing veteran leadership and poise. The five seniors, Chappell, Mitch Custenborder, Matthew Friend, Mark Juve and Nick Trubee all have played in big tournaments and succeeded at various levels.

Chappell, one of the most decorated golfers in UD history played at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship and has established himself as the top returning A-10 player. A 2008 First Team, All-Atlantic 10 selection, the senior from Cincinnati he earned the team's Most Valuable Player for the third season in a row after tying for the team lead in total rounds with 27 and finishing the season with a 74.2 stroke average.

Friend returned and performed well in his junior season reaching career-bests in total rounds, stroke average and low round. Custenborder is one of the longest hitters on the team and is looking to bounce back after an inconsistent junior season.

Trubee is also looking to bounce back after performing well as a sophomore. Juve showed flashes of brilliance last year and finished the 2008 spring season putting together a string of solid performances. Look for this group to not only push the underclassmen for time, but help them in their overall development as golfers.

SOPHOMORES
The talent level of the three returning sophomores might be the best the Flyers have ever seen. The trio of Woeste, Jeff Hodapp and Zach Glassman not only possess the skill to win, but the dedication and intangibles to succeed on and off the course.

Glassman also played at the 2008 U.S. Amateur championship and looks to build upon a freshman season where he averaged 74.8 strokes per round. Developing consistency has been the biggest plus for Glassman's game and if he can extend that into his sophomore season, he will rank among the conference's best.

Hodapp is another long hitter who looks to polish his overall game and become a consistent leader on the team. The Cincinnati native ranked among the team's top five in stroke average at 76.5, total rounds with 21 and best individual rounds at 71.

Woeste's return is just as exciting. After earning a First Team, All-Atlantic 10 selection and the 2008 Rookie of the Year award, Woeste has fine-tuned his game, especially around the greens. Last season Woeste finished second on the team in total rounds played with 24 and tallied a stroke average of 76.2.

FRESHMEN
With the depth and quality of the Flyer roster, UD signed only one golfer in the off-season, Michael Oberschmidt. The Cincinnati native is a tremendous athlete and has shown vast improvement in his golf game over the past few years. One thing that excites coach Hale is Oberschmidt's composure and patience on the golf course.

SCHEDULE
The 2008 fall golf schedule includes six road tournaments and the UD Ryder Cup hosted in October. The Flyers open the fall season Sept. 8 and 9 at the John Piper Invitational hosted by Bowling Green State. Trips to Chicago, Louisville, Olean, N.Y. and Hopkinsville, Ky., follow before capping the season at the storied NCR Country Club.

Hale believes a challenging schedule not only prepares his team for a conference championship, but gives his roster more quality experience against the nation's top competition. If the Flyers can steadily improve in each tournament, UD will no doubt enjoy the same accolades in 2009.