Par-3 for the course: Golf adds additional team, individual state qualifier

Not all UIL sports operate the same way.

Golf is a perfect example as while the majority of UIL sports (football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball) increased the number of playoff qualifiers across the board, golf remained extremely restrictive with its teams that advanced in championship season.

A step was recently taken to rectify that concern as starting in 2012-13, three golf teams and three individuals (up from two each) will advance from regionals to the state tournament.

"I think this is great for the state," said Karen Gravley, Allen head coach. "And it's great for the teams and kids that consistently put all this time in for our sport."

Coaches pointed to other sports when arguing for another team and individual state qualifier.

"Golf has been lagging in the playoff process for awhile now," said Rick Hardison, Plano West head coach. "Other sports get four qualifiers from each district and the argument behind making that change was for more kids to be able to participate in the postseason. If that's the case we are saying, 'what about us too.'"

The UIL heard those calls, at least at the regional level. Golf will continue to advance just two teams and individuals from the district tournament to regionals.

"I think that is the right way to go," Gravley said. "If you let a third team advance from their district, they might be a little weaker, while regionals are filled with high-caliber teams."

Plenty of Metroplex teams and players can attest to that as the Wolves, Plano East's Joseph Abella and Allen's Justin Newby are just a few examples of teams and players that would have advanced to state in previous years had this new rule already been implemented.

"We have a lot of good kids that can and have gotten left out," Hardison said, "so we've been fighting for this for a long time."

Coaches estimated the proposal had been on the table for five years, having previously been voted down numerous times.

"I think the push really picked up because people have seen the unbelievable levels of play at state," Gravley said. "You look at this past regional tournament with us, El Paso Eastwood and Southlake Carroll and then going forward to Region II with teams like The Woodlands and Austin Westlake, not to mention several other really strong teams in both of those regions, and I think you can see why the UIL would be OK with adding another qualifier."

More than 250 Class 5A teams competed in golf last year and the primary argument against expanding the state field had been eliminating some of the event's exclusivity.

"I understand that thought process, but you have to remember that any team getting to regionals is going to be pretty darn good," Hardison said. "Any change is going to bring both positives and negatives with it and the majority of coaches feel the positives of this far outweigh the negatives."

As Hardison referenced, he isn't the only one who feels that way.

"Instead of eight teams being in each state field, you are now looking at 12 and that's still an extremely low percentage," Gravley said. "We only have district, regionals and state, so it's not like the playoff format of other sports. We have been trying to find a way to allow more of our kids to reach that final level and I'm glad that now they will have that opportunity."

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