SEMO golfers hope to make the cut

The team is hopeful the program will survive the school's cost-cutting plan for elimination.

By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian

Even though Southeast Missouri State University plans to eliminate its men's golf program following the 2004-2005 school year, squad members and coach Carroll Williams are hopeful that won't happen.

The move, announced last week by the board of regents, is part of an overall $1.45 million worth of budget cuts spread throughout the university.

Southeast's athletic department is responsible for coming up with $75,000 in savings. Athletic director Don Kaverman said eliminating men's golf will save about $35,000 to $40,000. How athletics will come up with the remainder of the savings has not yet been determined.

But Kaverman said that if proper funding is found -- most likely through private donations -- the golf program could be saved.

"If a benefactor was willing to step forward and make an endowment, it would be something we would look at," Kaverman said. "But we would have to be assured that funding would be long-term, so it just wasn't a one-time shot. We wouldn't want to be in this position every year."

Williams has served Southeast in a variety of capacities for nearly 50 years and retired from teaching in 1996, although he has continued to coach golf on a part-time basis. He plans to step down from the university totally after next year but will be saddened if the golf program is discontinued.

"I was disappointed ...kids learn so much from athletics that they don't learn in the classroom," Williams said. "But I really think that somebody is going to step up and try to do something."

Added Williams, who has coached golf at Southeast from 1968 until 1976 -- when the program was originally dropped -- and from its reinstatement in 1991 until the present, "I would love to see that and hopefully golf will be here for a while."

The seniors and juniors on the current team won't be affected if the program is eliminated following the spring season of 2005, as planned, but the sophomores and freshmen -- along with any new players who might join the program -- would be.

"It was real disappointing when we heard the news, but we're hoping that something can be done about it," said freshman Matt Litzelfelner, a Jackson High School graduate. "We don't want to lose the golf program. I don't think the money should be too hard to come up with if everybody really got together and worked at it."

Said sophomore Nathan Sprague, "We're keeping our fingers crossed, but we think we have a pretty good chance of keeping the program around. I've heard there are a lot of people with connections that don't want to see golf dropped."

Added Williams, "The ones that will really be put into an awkward situation are the sophomores. If they stay here and then try to leave if the program is dropped, when they've only got one year left, not many schools will take a player with just one more year.

"The freshmen, they could build a good resume, then have two years left and go some place else."

Kaverman said that, if the program is ultimately dropped, the university would not likely turn its back on the current sophomores and freshman if they elect to remain at Southeast. None are on full athletic scholarships but most receive some form of financial aid.

"They would have a decision to make, whether they would want to stay here or transfer and play golf at another school," Kaverman said. "The ones that wanted to continue here, we would probably honor their scholarship."

As for the $75,000 that athletics is responsible for eliminating from the university's budget, Kaverman said, "One way or another, we have to come up with $75,000 in savings or new revenue.

"We will certainly be exploring new revenue opportunities and new savings, but at this point it's very difficult to cut any more expenses. Our operating expenses are already among the lowest in the OVC."