The men’s golf team will soon to be in full swing this fall. With multiple returning lettermen, the squad looks poised to build upon its impressive track record.
Coming off of a third place finish in the American Athletic Conference a year ago, Director of Golf Jonathan Dismuke believes that day-to-day focus will reap great results.
“My main goal every year is for us to be better each and every week,” Dismuke said. “No matter where you start the year, if you can incrementally continue to improve then you will finish the year off better, and that’s how we want to end the year.”
Golf is one of the most storied programs at UH, with 16 NCAA Championships to its name. Although the Cougars have not hoisted the trophy since 1985, their mark is greater than any other school in history.
The team features a roster that has a balance of newcomers and veterans. To reach its goals, the team will need to come together in order to fight expected complacency.
“We are more invested in where we are going than where we have been,” Dismuke said. “It’s a tough process because you have a little bit of success here and there, and that breeds a little bit of complacency. You can’t just take breaks because you have accomplished something.”
Returning leader
Houston will return three-time letter winner in senior Michael Perras. The Deer Park native earned a first place finish at the AAC Championships last year, but there’s reason to believe the new season could bring even more success.
Perras paced the men’s team with an impressive average of just 71.63 shots per round. Despite his remarkable season stats and accomplishments, he fell short at the end of the season. Perras was unable to advance past the Stanford Regional, where he finished in a tie for 41st.
Even with star power on the roster, Dismuke attempts to keep his expectations reasonable.
“I try not to have too many expectations about who is going to do what, but I am very excited about both programs,” Dismuke said. “They are both strong programs and they have a good support crew in place and good leadership from the top down, so I am excited for what the next season has in store for us.”
The men’s team will tee off the 2017-2018 season Oct. 1 when they travel to Valentine, Nebraska for The Jackrabbit from the Prairie Club.