2002 Men's Golf Spring Outlook

March 13, 2002

The Providence College men's golf team will open its final semester of competition in April. In 1999, it was announced that the College was eliminating the men's golf team in order to be in compliance with Title IX. The team was allowed to keep its varsity status and compete until May of 2002.

Head Coach Joe Prisco, who has coached the squad since it earned varsity status in 1960, will conclude his coaching career this spring after 42 years of competition.

Prisco's squad will be looking to have a strong final season of golf. The team was impressive during the fall season and will try to build on that experience in April.

The Friars' top golfers are seniors Chris Tobey (Hopkinton, Mass.) and Chris Hynes (Warwick, R.I.). Tobey, who has played in 29 tournaments during his collegiate career, has a 79.0 average in 48 rounds of competition. In his first tournament last fall, he tied his career low of 71 at the Black Knight Invitational at the West Point Country Club on September 22, 2001. Tobey was PC's top finisher in three of the team's five tournaments last fall. Hynes has competed in 33 tournaments during his four seasons at Providence. He has a team best career average of 78.7 through 63 rounds. Like Tobey, Hynes also tied his career low round of 71 at the Black Knight Invitational on September 22.

Freshman Steve Woelfel (Norwood, Mass.) had a very strong first semester with the Friars. Woelfel concluded the fall season as the Friars' top finisher at the New England Intercollegiate Championship when placed 19th with a two-round total of 152 on October 22-23. In nine rounds during the fall, Woelfel posted a 79.8 average with a low round of 71 at the New Englands.

Rounding out PC's top three golfers are senior Steve O'Brien (Cranston, R.I.) and freshman Kevin McGrath (Upper Montclair, N.J.). O'Brien averaged 81.5 in 11 rounds of competition during the fall season. He posted a career low round of 76 at the Adams Cup on October 2. For his career, he has an average of 82.2 (20 rounds). McGrath played in four tournaments in his first semester as a Friar and registered a 84.3 average in nine rounds of competition.

Providing depth for the Friars during the spring season will be senior Michael Grande (Orange, Conn.), juniors Brian Green (Marblehead, Mass.) and David LaPlante (Springfield, Vt.), and freshman Mike Luizzo (Norwood, Mass). Grande played in one tournament during the fall season and finished 83rd with a two-round total of 188 at the MacDonald Cup on October 13-14 at Yale. In eight career rounds, Grande has recorded a 92.3 average with a career low round of 85. Green joined the team last year and saw action in one tournament (The Big 5 Championship) where he shot an 89 and finished 25th. LaPlante is in his second season with the Friars. He finished 151st at the 2000 New England Intercollegiate Championship. Luizzo is a newcomer to the squad. He joined the team in January. He played his high school golf at Xaverian Brothers High School in Norwood, Mass.

Head Coach Joe Prisco will lead the Friars into their final season of competition. With freshman Steve Woelfel and seniors Chris Tobey and Chris Hynes coming off strong fall seasons, PC should have a very competitive squad this semester.

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Providence College Athletics

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