A drop in a bucket doesn’t really look like very much. If you just keep putting drops in the bucket, then eventually it will fill up.
There is no better way to describe the LSU men’s golf program under head coach Chuck Winstead, and it’s the analogy he has used for the last 10 years. This was no overnight sensation. The Tigers have had many highs under Winstead, including an individual national champion, Top 10 finishes and a trip to the NCAA tournament semifinals.
The ultimate moment came last season when the Tigers won the program’s fifth national championship at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.
“The national championship was more than just me and this team,” Winstead said. “It’s the administration, Tiger Athletic Foundation, our former players and our fans that helped us get to that point. None of it would have been possible without their support and dedication.”
The team gained momentum after the semifinal appearance in 2014, and the Tigers knew they were good enough to take the next step, which started with winning the SEC championship in April. Going into the final day with a three-shot deficit, the Tigers ultimately won by three shots to secure the first conference title for the program in 28 years.
“Our team had been building in the spring and going into the SEC Championships, we felt like we had done some good things,” Winstead said. “In the last round of the SEC Championships, coming down the stretch, our guys hit a lot of quality shots. I think their success going down the stretch led to a feeling that they can play at the highest level.”
It was the highs and experience at the SEC Championships that carried the team through the NCAA Regional at Yale, where the Tigers mastered a dramatic comeback to punch at ticket to the NCAA Championships. Benjamin Taylor, Zach Wright, Brandon Pierce, Stewart Jolly and Eric Ricard combined for a masterful 12-under score to recover from an 11-shot deficit and punch a ticket to the national tournament.
At Concession Golf Club, the Tigers qualified for match play and defeated No. 2 Vanderbilt and No. 3 Georgia to advance to the NCAA final. LSU went on to defeat Southern California, 4-1, to secure the national championship.
“Once we made it into match play, we had a team that was deep,” Winstead said. “We weren’t top-heavy, and we had a team that was hard to beat. Things still have to go your way and you have to get shots at critical moments. Because we had made shots at the conference championship and because we had done it at Yale, there was a belief that we could do it.”
The national championship is special for Winstead. His passion for LSU runs deep and winning it all is something that he will never forget. Although it’s easy to get caught up in the success of championships and winning, Winstead believes the development of his players will be the most important aspect.
As this year’s team gets out on the course for the long season, the goal is always improvement. Last year’s success won’t take the fire away from this team, though. Winstead and assistant coach Garrett Runion will continue to provide the right environment, motivation and direction for them to improve. It’s a journey that never ends.
“For me, if the only benefit is that LSU wins championships and these guys don’t fulfill their dreams then I won’t feel like we succeeded,” Winstead said. “It’s not just the trophies and things that we can stare at. It’s about changing young men’s lives. They have the talent, but they have to do the work, too. It’s our responsibility to help them move through and chase their dreams.”