2011-12 Mens Golf Guide

Pirate Golf History
This is the 64th year of men’s golf at East Carolina Univer- sity. During that time NCAA golf has changed significantly as all competitions use to be match play until the late 60’s. Stroke play competition took over usually in matches (two to four teams at each match) of limited number teams. Around 1975 the cur- rent format of tournaments began play with head-to-head (won- loss records) still the main focus of these competitions. ECU had limited success with the exception of the early 1970’s when Eddie Pinnix led the Pirates to two straight Southern Conference titles and Pinnix was named an honorable mention All-American in 1972. The Pirates captured three Southern Con- ference titles during the athletic program’s tenure. Following a brief spell without a conference affiliation during the late 70’s, the Pirates became a member of the ECAC-South conference in 1982. This conference became what is now known as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Under the direction of coach Hal Morrison, the Pirates’ golf program achieved its greatest amount of success in its history as they captured seven CAA titles (1987-88, 1990-94). Although the program captured seven CAA crowns, it only advanced to the NCAA Regionals in 1992, where it placed 19th out of 23 teams, but did not qualify for the NCAA Championships. The Pirates won 13 tournaments in Morrison’s nine years with the program. During this time numerous records were set and still stand today: Most tournament victories in a season three (1989-90, and 1991-92); victories (head-to-head) 142 (1988-89); winning percentage .785 (1990-91); top five finishes in a season eight (1989-90). Michael Teague (Charlotte, N.C.) advanced to the NCAA Regionals as an individual in 1993. Coach Morrison suffered only two losing seasons in his nine years and he finished with an over- all mark of 1,041-642-8, a .615 winning percentage. The 1995-96 season marked the start of the program under coach Kevin Williams. The victory in the 2002 Car- olina First Intercollegiate was the third team title under Williams, but the first victory since the 1995 and 1996 Charleston Southern Fall Invitational. During Williams’ tenure, individual school records were set in 54-hole score totals, career stroke average and season stroke average (twice). Richie Creech captured the CAA individual title in 1997. Five different individuals won titles with Jonathan Hill and Jason Harris capturing two wins each. A school record five runner-up finishes and six top five fin- ishes saw the Pirates narrowly miss receiving a bid to the NCAAs in 2001-02, its first as a member of Conference USA. The 2001-02 team finished with the fourth most victories in single season (127), fifth most top five finishes in a season ( 6) and fifth best winning percentage in a season (.671). Jason Har- ris set the new single season stroke average record with a 72.7. In 2002-03, the Pirates tied the single-season record with eight top-five finishes, recorded the third best winning percent- age in school history and Jonathan Hill shattered the single- Coach Hal Morrison guided ECU to seven CAA Championships from 1987-94.