Roosevelt goes golfing

It’s a hole in one for golf at Roosevelt.

The sport had never been available for Roosevelt student athlete participation - until this year. With the expansion of the athletic program, men’s golf became a possibility.

“I’m having a great time with a great group of young men,” said Coach Marty Scherr, head coach of men’s golf at Roosevelt. “To be a part of something from scratch and watch it grow so quickly and so well is a privilege.”

“Being at Roosevelt feels like a dream, because I would have never thought I would be able to play golf for a school like this,” said Roosevelt undergrad Aaron Wheeler. “To go to school in a skyscraper and be able to play my favorite sport is truly an amazing experience.”

Scherr received the coaching position in September of last year. He also serves as the coordinator of compliance and eligibility for the Lakers.

“I got good players to visit and got five to commit to start our team,” said Scherr, regarding the recruiting process, which involved emails, checking golf websites and contacting coaches from other schools.

Scherr said he’s played golf the majority of his life and still participates in local tournaments, including Chicago District Golf Association tournaments. He is a former women’s basketball coach and has more than 20 years experience in coaching student athletes.

“Coach Marty is a really cool guy,” Wheeler said. “He understands golf and can relate to the emotional roller coaster golf can take you on. He is a golfer himself and can contribute a lot to making our team become one of the best in the nation.”

The team practices five days each week and has multiple invitationals and tournaments throughout October.

“Any of our five golfers could shoot the lowest score in any round,” Scherr said. “[Freshman] Trevor Berry has our lowest overall numbers, so far.”

So far, the team has ranked ninth out of fifteen teams at the Lou Collins Memorial Classic and seventh out of nineteen teams at the St. Francis Fall Classic

“We have top notch ability, but we are not mentally tough enough yet,” Scherr said.

Wheeler said the team is working on the mental aspect of the game and positivity and that his personal goals are to break a score of 70 this year and qualify for nationals, as a team.

“Golf is a great lifetime activity, but to be a part of a college team, you have to be very talented and work hard at it,” Scherr said. “We expect to be very competitive and be in the running for the conference championship in the spring.”

“The season has started out rough for me just because the practice rounds I have played have showed me that I am hitting the ball great, but I’m just not posting the scores needed to win,” Wheeler said. “The team is in the same situation as me, but with the talent I see in front of me, I have no doubt that the Roosevelt golf team will bring home a lot of first place trophies.”

Wheeler encouraged students to come to a tournament.

“It may be a little bit of a drive to see us play, but I can guarantee you’ll have a fun time,” he said. “Golf to me is more than just a sport. It’s life. I love to win and strive for excellence.”

Go Lakers! Ready to see Wheeler and the team go big on the golf course? Tweet us your excitement @RUTORCH