While most Wisconsin students will have to deal with the cold weather and more snow this weekend, the University of Wisconsin men's golf team will be enjoying sunny, 80-degree weather in Naples, Fla.
"It is going to be nice to get out of this weather and get some good practice in," sophomore Dan Woltman said.
"[The best part of golf is] traveling to warmer areas and all the experiences you get," teammate Jeff Kaiser added.
The Badgers open their spring season Saturday with a dual meet against Florida Gulf Coast University. According to Golfstat.com, the Eagles are currently ranked No. 3 in Division II.
The meet should serve as a good tune-up for Wisconsin before the team heads out to California for the San Francisco Invitational May 12 and 13 at Pauma Valley Golf Course.
As the Badgers tee up this weekend, they will face off against the brother duo of Robert and Steven Taylor. The two, both juniors, led the Eagles in scoring in all but one tournament during the fall season.
Florida Gulf Coast University opened up its spring season February 12 and 13 at the Matlock Collegiate Classic where it placed third. Steven Taylor finished third individually.
In order to break up FGCU's brotherly love, Woltman, a transfer from Kentucky, will need to be on his game for UW.
During the fall, Woltman posted a team-best 71.4 scoring average while tallying three finishes in the top 10. With a 54-hole score of 202, the sophomore won the VCU/Mattaponi Springs Shootout in September. Due to his success, Woltman is currently ranked 86th by Golfweek Magazine.
With all of the individual success of Woltman, the Badgers enjoyed a strong fall season as a whole as well. At Pinehurst Golf Course, Kaiser helped lead the team to victory at the Mid Pines Intercollegiate, the first tournament of the season. At the Wolverine Intercollegiate, the Badgers' second tournament, senior Garrett Jones carried Wisconsin to its second consecutive victory. Wisconsin went on to close the season with a pair of third-place finishes.
This spring season, the UW men's golf team has a chance to be something special if it plays up to its potential. Currently, the team is considered the top team in the Big Ten. It will rely on Woltman and company to keep it that way.
While a national championship is a lofty goal, the concept isn't too far-fetched, especially with the way Woltman, Jones and Kaiser are playing. The trio of Wisconsin natives led the Badgers last season in scoring average with 71.4, 72.13 and 73.13 respectively. The last time anyone represented the University of Wisconsin at the national championship was 1994.
Wisconsin will look to build upon its impressive fall with a strong start to spring. Winning the Big Ten title remains the goal, but a national championship isn't far from their thoughts.
"[Our goal is] to play as well as we possibly can, win a Big Ten Championship and win a national championship," Kaiser said.
