The University of Mississippi Athletics
Freshman Golfer Makes Smooth Transition To College Game
3/23/2004 | Men's Golf
March 23, 2004
By Matt Segal
Athletics Media Relations Intern
The kid is just 19 years old and in his first year with the Ole Miss golf program. Yet, he plays like a seasoned veteran.
The name is Kyle Ellis. Learn it, be familiar with it and don't forget it.
A true freshman from Senatobia, Miss., Ellis has already made a mark with the Rebels and quickly become one of the top young golfers in the Southeastern Conference. With just three regular-season competitions remaining on the 2004 slate, Ellis hopes to make the most of each time he hits the links.
"I'm happy with the way I've been playing lately," Ellis said. "I've been hitting the ball real well off the tee. Regardless of how you do it, the name of the game is getting the ball in the hole. That's always the key. Lately, I've been keeping the ball in play, keeping it in front of me and getting it to the greens where I can finish off the hole. I don't feel like I've been doing anything special. I've just been trying to get it in the cup."
Ellis has elevated his game in recent outings. He carded a career-best round of 69 at the Conrad Rehling Alabama Invitational in Tuscaloosa, Ala., March 12-14. His three-round total of 215 helped Ole Miss to a fourth-place finish in the 13-team field.
At the Herb Wimbley Intercollegiate in Las Cruces, N.M., March 8-9, Ellis collected a three-day total of 217 as the Rebels placed fourth out of 14 teams. Prior to that, at the Seminole Intercollegiate in Tallahassee, Fla., March 1-2, Ellis posted a 220 to aid Ole Miss to a fifth-place effort in the 12-team field.
Prior to the start of the 2004 spring campaign, the Rebels did some statistical analysis. The careful examination helped the team separate its strengths from its weaknesses. As the spring season has rolled along, Ellis and his teammates have isolated those weaknesses to the point where they could be worked on.
"Coming into the spring season we were first in the nation in fairways hit," Ellis pointed out. "We were also in the top 10 in par-three scoring. That showed our ability to hit the ball off the tee. I think all season long we have hit the ball as well as any team in the country. Now, we need to continue to focus on our putting. The great teams are consistent in both areas of the game."
Thanks to a trio of young golfers in the program, it has been a very balanced attack this spring. Ole Miss has had three different team leaders in four invitationals-to-date. Ellis led the way at the Conrad Rehling Invitational and Seminole Intercollegiate, while redshirt freshman Callum Macaulay stepped up at the Herb Wimbley Intercollegiate (69-70-74--213) and redshirt freshman Chris Rogers turned in the squad's best performance at the Tulane Invite (69-79-76--224).
"We've had a lot of individuals step up at different times throughout the season," Ellis said. "We call it 'damage control.' If we have one person struggling, we usually have four others who are willing to step up and be on top of their games. One bad score isn't going to hurt a team because you always get to drop that fifth score. The key is always getting four solid scores. That has been happening on a much more consistent basis lately and that gives us all a good feeling.
"I think this team has definitely improved since the beginning of the fall. We are starting to get guys under par and around par after we were consistently over (par) in the fall."
For a competitor like Ellis, the transition from high school to college hasn't been that difficult. The courses are a little bit longer at the collegiate level, but he knows the distances are the same for everyone involved.
"The game is the same, but the competition is much tougher at this level," Ellis admitted. "Things have worked out in my favor so far, but, coming in, I really expected to be the second or third player on this team. I am happy to contribute in whatever capacity I can. Just like anyone else, I want to continue to improve my individual scores, but as long as the team is performing well, I'm happy."
After an eighth-place finish at the 2003 SEC Championships, there is a lot of optimism towards the 2004 league showdown, which is slated for April 16-18 in Sea Island, Ga. On that weekend, head coach Woody Cowart, Ellis and the rest of the Rebels hope to show everyone else in the conference just how far they've come.
