Spring Sports Previews: Chatham Golfers Gearing Up

You can find the Chatham High School Cougar golf team training hard at Fairmount Country Club after school as it tries to find its starting lineup for the upcoming season. Now that the weather seems to have broken for good, the golfers are hitting the links with intensity. 

Head Coach Todd Ervin is in his 11th year at the helm of the team, and the bar has been set high for CHS golf thus far. Last year, the team was 16-3, and during Ervin's tenure, the team has won the county championship four times and the Group II State Championships in 2008.

This year, he has two reasons in particular to expect a successful season: Juniors Ben Alcorn and Pat Stock.

"He is very good all around," Ervin said of Alcorn. "He puts a lot of time in. He's a member here [at Fairmount Country Club]."

Stock "played a lot last year," and Ervin emphasized golf being "all about scores. After [Alcorn and Stock], we've got four, five, or six golfers vying for a spot. Six golfers play."

Because of a conference realignment that took place before this season, the Cougars will be playing against unfamiliar teams and courses, but several rivalries remain. Chatham will tee off against Mendham in an out-of-conference matchup and will face Delbarton as well. 

As for the Cougars' home course, Fairmount Country Club's difficulty can be an asset.

"It is a hard course," Ervin said. "Very demanding, but it's an advantage when you play every day."

Alcorn, for his part, is ready to pick up where he left off last year—as the 2009 NJ PGA Junior Player of the Year.

"I was the second spot, and I had the third lowest average," Alcorn said.  When asked his strongest attribute, he simply replied: "Consistency, all-around."

"The ball-striking is going well," he said. "I played in a lot of summer tournaments and I'm hoping to do well in the states, counties, conferences, and I hope the team wins as much as possible."

Stock was the third spot with the second lowest average last season, and he hopes to continue his success as a junior.

"Last year was good," Stock said. "It was my first year playing consistently, and I started playing well toward the end of last season once I got comfortable."

His strongest attribute as golfer?

"Consistency, like Ben," he said. "Not getting out of control." 

To prep for the season, Stock "did a lot of weightlifting and a few practice sessions in the winter" and made a few swing changes as a result.

"I think we will be good," he said. "We're definitely a young team, but we have a lot of good players. We should be able to compete."

Sophomores Jack Ryan and Trip Burke are also looking to make a name for themselves after seeing limited time on the links as freshmen last year.

"I only got into a couple matches," Ryan said of Spring 2009. "We won those.  This season I hope to get into matches. I played a lot over the summer.  I went to California, I played a lot here. I tried to get [to Fairmount] as much as I [could].  You can't get better without playing."

Burke had a similar year as a freshman, and he has set goals for himself in 2010.

"I got into a few matches," Burke said. "I had a successful season. I only lost a few matches. Personally, I just want to get into new matches, play well, and shoot for the low 40s."

Though the Cougars may lack in age, they make up for it in drive and direction. There is a will to improve individually and also as a team. The goal is simple.

"It's the same every year," Coach Ervin said.  "We want to win counties and states."

The team plays its first match Thursday at 4 p.m. at Fairmount against Morris Catholic.