The Mississippi State men’s and women’s golf teams are heading into each of its respective SEC Tournaments with separate goals in mind following a season full of adversity for both.
Whether it is due to NCAA suspension, injuries, players quitting, players being cut or inconsistent play, it’s happened.
The Lady Bulldogs have played all season with only five players on their roster, and the teams they have competed against have had a minimum of seven. The men’s team has had issues with two of its strongest players being lost for the season after only 11 rounds of play each. Senior Lee Heaton was suspended due to NCAA violations, and freshman Fletcher Johnson has been out with appendicitis. Heaton had a total of 31 birdies and Johnson a total of 30 at the time of their unfortunate events.
The Lady Bulldogs have had no other choice but to put the same line-up out there every single time, but the men’s team has had difficulty with several line-up changes throughout the year. The only constants have been sophomore Chad Ramey and senior Alex Rowland, who have both participated in every tournament this season and been State’s top performers throughout the season. Ramey leads the team with an average score of 72.69 and Rowland is a close second with an average of 73.68. Heaton said it has been hard for him to not be able to contribute and said consistency throughout the line-up is something a team needs to exhibit its full potential.
“It’s been tough; it’s going to the tournaments and not having any real direct impact on the team’s finishes,” he said. “By now you need to have at least four out of the five set in stone, so it’s been tough for Coach not having four guys he can rely on each week.”
Although both teams have endured difficulties, they both have had their own share of accomplishments, as well.
The women’s team has much to look forward to considering three of the five players on the active roster are freshmen. According to “GolfStat’s Freshman Impact Rankings,” freshmen Ally McDonald, Rica Tse and Elena Warren are currently the No. 6 freshman class in the country. In her two years as head coach for the Lady Bulldogs, Ginger Brown-Lemm has improved their national ranking from top-140 to top-80 and has been instrumental in shaving eight strokes off the team’s average from 314.92 to 306.42. Joining the freshmen on the current team are four incoming freshmen already committed to State, and Brown-Lemm said she is looking forward to seeing how this team gains the experience needed to become competitive in the SEC.
“Imagine what it’s like two years from today when you have those players experienced and moving up and on; that’s exciting,” she said. “It is my goal to have a top-30 program in two years.”
The Lady Bulldogs are more than likely not going to qualify for the NCAA’s, baring an automatic bid by winning the SEC Tournament, but according to coach Brown-Lemm, McDonald, with an average score of 73.75, has a good shot at qualifying as an individual. However, McDonald said she wants the MSU women’s golf team and program to be known. 
“I want to see this program grow and be a nationally-ranked school in women’s golf,” she said. “I want to be a threat to other schools.”
On the other side of the coin, the MSU men’s team is seeking to make it to the NCAA Tournament. State has finished in the top-10 of every event this season except for one and finds itself in good position to do so. The team is currently ranked No. 65 in the nation, and without total self-destruction in the SEC Tournament, can find itself among the final 81 teams that qualify. The team needs to finish no lower than eighth in the tournament to finish with a winning record and improve their chances. It may be easier said than done, however, considering the team has not beaten a team ranked in the top-25 all year, and the SEC has six of those teams. Head coach Clay Homan said there is no room for error in order for this team to make it to the NCAA Regionals.
“We have very little wiggle room going into this tournament and we’ve got to play our best,” he said. “We know that, they’re aware of that and know we have to step it up and play the best we’ve played all year in order to make the postseason.”
The MSU men’s and women’s golf teams will go opposite ways traveling to their SEC Tournaments. The Lady Bulldogs will make a trip to Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark., today to April 22, and the men’s team will travel to Sea Island Golf Club in Sea Island, Ga., during the same weekend to solidify each of their own postseason fates.