Plain and simple, UW men's golfer Jeff Kaiser is a big man. However, unlike his professional counterparts, such as John Daly and Mark O'Meara, Kaiser has a controlled, consistent swing that allows him to keep his scores down and his balls in the fairway.

"He's big, strong, intimidating guy," UW head coach Jim Schuman said. "Nevertheless, he's controlled with his approach to the game and understands how to manage the golf course, and I think he understands what he does really well and some of the things he might struggle with."

Kaiser did a lot of things well during his freshman season, making an immediate impact on Schuman's squad. As a rookie, he played in all 27 rounds while shooting an average of 70, good enough for second on the team.

Other highlights of his freshman campaign included a tie for second at the Iowa Invitational and a tie for seventh at the Peter Jacobsen Invitational. All in all, he finished with four top-10 finishes and a new career-best for 18 holes (67).

"I really was not [surprised] because Kaiser is a special player, and we saw that when we were recruiting him," Schuman said. "He's a guy who just knows how to play the game of golf, and we knew he had the ability contribute right away."

Easing Kaiser's transition to the college game was the success he enjoyed during his prep career at Onalaska (Wis.) High School. In 2003, the 6-foot-3 sophomore was voted by the Wisconsin High School Golf Coaches Association to a WIAA first-team All-state selection.

"Success in high school definitely made coming to Wisconsin easier, but it's definitely a different brand of golf here because I'm not hitting chip shots into par-4s anymore," Kaiser said. "Now I'm playing longer, more-challenging golf courses against better competition. But just getting the experience of winning and shooting low scores in high school made the transition easier."

In just his second season, Kaiser has emerged as a team leader, so much so that Schuman has made him a co-captain.

In the fall, Kaiser again competed in all 15 rounds and ranked second on the team in scoring average at 73.9. He tied the third-best 36-hole score in UW history at the Barona Collegiate Cup at 137 (68-69), and he also established personal bests for 36 (137) and 54 holes (211) that same weekend.

"He's making sure everyone is following him and doing the right thing because we're a very young team, and it's a tough spot to put a sophomore in as team captain," Schuman said. "But he's a guy who can handle it, and he's showed us that he can."

While Kaiser has made significant improvements in his game, both he and his coach recognize that it was a product of hard work and determination.

"I'm in much better condition now. I've really been hitting the weight room, and I've definitely made strides in my short game," Kaiser said. "My chipping and putting have improved. I've always been a pretty decent ball striker, so my short game needed the work."

Since last season, the big fellow has shed 40 pounds and, according to his coach, has made significant mechanical adjustments to his golf swing.

"He's made some mechanical changes that helped him be a little bit more consistent and really allow him shoot to score," Schuman said.

To open up the spring season, the team traveled to Florida for the Naples Invitational, where it finished in seventh place. Kaiser led the way for the Badgers, shooting an even-par 216 on the weekend, and he had the low round of the final day with a five-under-par 67.

"That definitely got the ball rolling for me," Kaiser said. "I played well there last year, and it's a good golf course for me, and it gave me a lot of confidence before the big spring season."

Since then, Kaiser has been a rock of stability for the Badgers with quality performances at their most recent tournaments, the Orange County Invite and the Pinehurst Invitational.

Someone of Kaiser's size and strength is often tempted to take long powerful swings while looking for the most distance. While Kaiser admits that may have been a problem a year ago today, he remains focused on keeping his risks to a minimum.

"I'd rather be controlled at this point," he said. "It's a lot better to hit the ball shorter in the fairway than longer in the trees."