Junior Brendan Gielow named at a Top 50 Male Golfer to Watch in 2008.
Aug. 28, 2008
WINSTON-SALEM -
Wake Forest men's golf team is ranked 20th in Gold World's preseason poll that was released Wednesday. Junior Brendan Gielow was also named by Golf World as a Top 50 Male Golfer to Watch in 2008.
Wake Forest received 121 total points, which is tied with Indiana for 20th in the poll. The Deacons are one of five ACC schools ranked in the top 25 - Clemson (6th), Georgia Tech (10th), Florida State (11th), Duke (14th) and North Carolina is (25th). The SEC is the only other conference with sixth schools ranked.
The UCLA Bruins are the defending national champions and they hold the top spot in the poll. They Bruins received 11 first place votes and a total of 618 points. Oklahoma State is second with 592 points and four first place votes. Despite receiving six first place votes, Georgia is third behind OSU with 585 points. Southern Cal is fourth, receiving the final five first place votes, and Stanford rounds out the top five.
Despite the graduation of All-American Webb Simpson, the Deacs will once again be a team to watch in 2008. Senior Dustin Groves, along with Gielow, had a strong year last year and both players played well this summer.
The Deacs are coming off of a 2007-08 season which saw them post a pair of victories and a total of six top-five finishes. One of those wins came at the NCAA East Regional, where the Deacons won by an impressive ten shots. It was also their third NCAA East Regional victory in the last four years.
Gielow had a standout sophomore season, recording three top-ten finishes, including tied for second at the East Regional. He finished second on the team with a 72.7 stroke average and 17 of his 36 rounds last season were at par or better.
This summer, the Muskegon, Mich., native won the Northeast Amateur in record fashion, carding rounds of 68-66-67-66 to become the first player in the tournament's 47-year history to break par all four days. He also qualified for the U.S. Amateur and made the match play of the North/South Amateur.
Wake Forest will open the 2008-09 season at the Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic on Sept. 12-14 in Rocky Face, Ga.
Complete Golf World Preseason Poll
TEAM POINTS '08 NCAA
1. UCLA (11) 618 Won
2. Oklahoma St. (4) 592 4th
3. Georgia (6) 585 T-8
4. Southern Cal. (5) 564 3rd
5. Stanford 498 2nd
6. Clemson 481 5th
7. Florida 468 11th
8. Alabama 439 13th
9. Texas A&M 343 12th
10. Georgia Tech 340 DNP
11. Florida St. 335 DNP
12. Arizona St. 334 MC
13. Charlotte 258 T-8
14. Duke 231 DNP
15. Tennessee 217 DNP
16. Auburn 201 MC
17. Kent St. 173 6th
18. East Tennessee St. 168 MC
19. South Carolina 160 DNP
20. Wake Forest 121 MC
Indiana 121 MC
22. UNLV 117 DNP
23. San Diego St. 101 14th
24. Texas 95 MC
25. North Carolina 91 DNP
Others receiving votes: Chattanooga, 90; Louisville, 86; Illinois, 75; Washington, 74; Middle Tennessee St., 50; Texas Tech, 41; Michigan St., 39; UAB, 39; Arizona, 34; UCF, 32; LSU, 27; Arkansas, 22; N.C. St., 21; Pepperdine, 21; Mississippi, 20; Penn St., 15; UC Irvine, 15; TCU, 12; Augusta St., 11; California, 11; Purdue, 11; Oregon, 10; Northwestern, 8; Coastal Carolina, 6; Virginia Tech, 5; Colorado St., 3; Marquette, 3; SMU, 2; St. John's, 2; Virginia, 2; Maryland, 1; Memphis, 1; Mississippi St., 1; New Mexico, 1; Notre Dame, 1; Wichita St., 1.
