Future bright for Hogs in golf

FAYETTEVILLE Arkansas men's golf coach Brad McMakin said he was waiting and waiting for one down day this spring.

He didn't want to see it. But after watching his team play near-perfect golf down the stretch in 2009, McMakin was realistic. He figured the inevitable would happen sometime.

It finally did last Saturday, when the Razorbacks weren't as sharp as they had been during the NCAA Championship match loss to Texas A&M. But the good news? The off day didn't occur until Arkansas had accomplished something pretty remarkable.

"We would've loved to have won," McMakin said. "But I think for our program, we've taken big strides and big steps for the future."

Arkansas' second-place finish at the NCAA Championships the program's best in school history has the Razorbacks brimming as they look to the future. Sure, it stung to fall one hole short of the NCAA crown, but what the Razorbacks accomplished in their third year into McMakin's tenure has given reason for optimism.

Arkansas was ranked lower than 90 when McMakin took over. They finished last at the 2007 and 2008 Southeastern Conference Championships. They weren't "really on the radar," according to McMakin, when the 2008-09 season began, either.

But Arkansas finished second in its three biggest tournaments: The SEC Championships, NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships.

"It was a special group," McMakin said. "I told them, this was one of the best years I've ever had as a coach because no one expected them to do anything. Every week we got better."

McMakin believes there's room for even more growth next year.

Seniors Andrew Landry and Conway's Jason Cuthbertson, who played at the No. 1 and No. 4 spots for the Razorbacks, wrapped up their careers at the NCAA Championships. But juniors David Lingmerth and Jamie Marshall, and freshman Ethan Tracy, will be back to lead the Hogs.

McMakin said there will be competition from players who redshirted the 2009 season and incoming freshmen as well.

Even Stephen Cox, who spent the past two seasons playing basketball at Arkansas, will rejoin the team and be in the mix.

"He's going to bring some leadership and he'll work on his game this summer," McMakin said. "Stephen's got as much talent as anyone in the country."

McMakin believes the depth and talent returning should help Arkansas be a top-10 team again.

He's also hoping the 2009 success will help Arkansas cement itself as one of the NCAA's elite program.

"I'm looking forward to the future here," McMakin said. "I think it's going to be incredible. I think not only are we back on the map, I think we'll be there for awhile."