The men's golf team, slowed by inconsistency in its putting game in the third round, finished in an 11th-place tie this past weekend at the Wofford Invitational in Spartansburg, S.C.

The team shot a collective 305-297-311--913 and was led by William Smith, who shot a 77-72-75--224, finishing in 10th place. Dan Vona (76-74-77--227) and Matt Shiley (74-76-78--228) finished 13th and 14th, respectively. Jim Bohn shot a 78-81-81--240 and Brian Porta a 82-75-84--241 to round out Coach Mary Kennedy-Zierke's lineup.

"I'm really proud of their finish, based on the tough competition we were up against," Kennedy-Zierke said. "That's the best field we compete against besides NCAA regionals, and we did pretty well."

The team ended the second round in ninth place, ahead of future Big Ten-foes Minnesota, Michigan State and Illinois, but mental lapses around the green throughout the final nine holes contributed to the downfall of the short game.

"Our putting was the biggest problem. There were too, too many putts on the back nine," Smith said. "Near the end you start thinking of being finished with the match and you lose your concentration, and as a result, you make mistakes."

Concentration problems weren't the only ones the team had to contend with. Having played outside only sparingly over the past several weeks, the Lions were forced to make the transition from AstroTurf and ceilings back to grass and sun rather abruptly. Playing three days in a demanding tournament after a lengthy layoff is a difficult thing to do, and is something that requires golfers to modify their play immediately.

"Your short game suffers most from being inside," Shiley said. "Some guys have a tough time adjusting to putting and chipping on grass, and your whole game experiences trouble because of it."

North Carolina State, which shot 289-292-296--877, won the tournament. Kelly Mitchum, an N.C. State golfer, won the individual title with a 71-74-67--212.

The team now has a three-week layoff to prepare for the Rutherford Intercollegiate, which it will host April 13-14. The time will be used to acclimate the team to once again playing outside, barring any freak weather, and competing in intrasquad competitions to determine the top golfers.

"We'll hopefully be able to stay outside for good now," Smith said. "Being inside definitely has something to do with not playing well. We've got to get our confidence back, and confidence comes from being outside and getting to play."

Smith is attempting to rehabilitate himself after suffering from chronic lower back problems throughout the past few months. Coach Kennedy-Zierke said Smith is yet to return to his former self, but is well on the way back to peak performance.

"William is improving every day, especially with his putting," she said. "He's coming out of a period of frustration, and is working hard at getting his game back together."