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2009
CLAYTON STATE MEN'S GOLF PREVIEW
"New-Look" Lakers aim to
build on success of 2009 Peach Belt Conference
Championship
  Season
after season since Barry Harwell’s arrival as head coach, the Clayton
State Laker men’s golf program has continued to reach new heights and success.
But with that comes the challenges every year of a new season and building on
the previous season.
The
bar has been set high for the 2009-10 season for the Lakers after the tremendous
performance last year. For the first time in program history, Clayton State won
the Peach Belt Conference championship and the Lakers had the PBC individual
champion for the second straight year. As the new season approaches, Clayton
State starts out ranked 16th in the preseason Golf Week/Nike Division
II Top 25.
“The results we had last season will give us some high standards to improve on,
but everyone seems to be working hard to gain a chance to play,” said Harwell,
entering his fourth season at Clayton State. “We have some talented players and
our prospects are good for a solid 2009-10 season.”
This will be a “new look” Laker squad for 2009-10 with five new players joining
three returning players. The most notable absence is three-time Division II
All-American and 2009 Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year Will Wilcox. But
that doesn’t mean that Clayton State will be short on talent by any stretch.
 Senior captain Wade Binfield made his statement as a top-flight player last
spring by winning the Peach Belt Conference individual championship with a
6-under par 210. In addition, he was also the Lakers’ low scorer for the NCAA
Division II South/Southeast SuperRegional, thus earning honorable mention
Division II All-American honors.
Binfield, who finished last year with a 73.5 stroke average, followed up the
spring with a strong summer, finishing runner-up at both the Southeastern
Amateur and the Spirit of America, not to mention the low amateur at the Atlanta
Open.
Binfield will be joined in the line-up by fellow senior Neil Thomas, who should
provide the Lakers competitive and consistent scoring as the second or third
player in the line-up this season. Thomas recorded a 74.6 scoring average last
season with four Top 25 finishes.
Like Binfield, Thomas also played well during the summer. He finished in the Top
50 at the 2009 Canadian Amateur Championship.
Rounding out the returning players is sophomore Andy Bate, who aims to make a
solid contribution this year after seeing limited action as a freshman.
 “Wade and Neil have continued to improve throughout the summer,” Harwell said.
“They just have to step up and continue to provide solid numbers for our team to
be successful this year.”
The newcomers include two transfers and three freshmen to the Laker fold. Junior
Adam Novakowski comes to Clayton State transferring from NAIA Missouri Valley,
where he and Thomas were teammates for one season. Novakowski was an All-Heart
of America Conference selection last season with a 76.05 scoring average.
During the preseason, Novakowski has proven himself as the team’s longest hitter
off the tee.
“Adam had solid numbers and quite a bit of college tournament experience at
Missouri Valley, and he has already shown in qualifying that he will get plenty
of playing time,” Harwell said.
The other transfer is sophomore Clark Nelson from Stirling University in
Scotland. Although he didn’t play competitive golf at Stirling, Nelson had a
tremendous junior career and is expected to make immediate contributions to the
Laker program.
Headlining the freshmen is James Hamilton from New Zealand. Most arguably the
most successful international player that Harwell has ever signed at Clayton
State, Hamilton competed for both the U-19 and U-23 New Zealand National teams,
and was ranked fifth among amateurs in New Zealand.
In addition, Hamilton also competed in the 2008 and 2009 British Amateur.
The other two freshmen are Atlanta-area products Joshua Ransby (Woodward
Academy) and Michael Lee (North Gwinnett).
Ransby enjoyed a distinguished junior career on the Georgia junior PGA Tour,
winning three tournaments, including the 2006 Tour Championship. He also helped
pace Woodward Academy to the 2009 Georgia Class AAA State Tournament.
Lee was consistently one of the top one or two players during his career at
North Gwinnett, setting school low-round scores for nine- and 18-hole rounds.
Like Ransby, Lee also played frequently in the area junior golf associations.
“Both of those players (Ransby and Lee) have the tools to become successful
college players and make an impact on our team,” Harwell said. “As usual, we
have a strong mixture of local and international players.”
The 2009-10 schedule will once again be challenging for the Lakers, with each
tournament loaded with nationally-ranked teams like Clayton State.
The Lakers will host the State Farm-Laker Invitational and play in both the
Aflac/Cougar Invitational at Columbus State and the Indian Bayou Classic, hosted
by North Alabama. During the spring, Clayton State opens at the GolfWeek
Invitational in Orlando, followed by the Matlock Invitational in Lakeland, Fla.
That’s followed by the Samford Invitational in Limestone Springs, Ala., the
Southeastern Intercollegiate in Valdosta, Ga., the Bobcat Invitational in
Cuscawilla, Ga., and the Bearcat Invitational in Greenwood, S.C.
The 2010 Peach Belt Conference Tournament will be in Callaway Gardens, Ga.
“If we are competitive with this planned schedule, there is no doubt that we
will be returning to the NCAA SuperRegional,” Harwell said. “This fall, we will
find out a lot about this team and its chances for success in 2010.”
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