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On verge of nationals, Calhoun is due

• Darton College's golf team feels 2007 First-Team All-American Coleman Calhoun will move past his recent struggles and post a strong tournament showing at next week's national championship in Phoenix.

Scott Chancey

ALBANY —Darton College golfer Coleman Calhoun — although uncomfortable at times while talking about his somewhat dismal spring — nonetheless pushed himself through every answer, calm and collected Friday morning as the three-time defending NJCAA Division II national champ Cavaliers wrapped their final practice at Stonebridge Golf & Country Club before next week’s national tournament at Phoenix’s Palm Valley Golf Course.

Such has been the case with his play recently —knowing things have to get better, sooner or later.

A first-team NJCAA Division II All-American after placing fifth at nationals last year, the Vidalia native was largely inconsistent after Christmas break. Calhoun won Andrew College’s spring tournament at Meadow Links Golf Course in April, and then had his worst showing this year at the region tournament two weeks ago with a first-round 78 and then a 15-over-par 87.

“That’s out of control — an 87,” Cavaliers coach Dale Dover said after the tournament.

Calhoun said he learned from the experience and senses his game returning to form.

And just in time for the Cavs’ most important four rounds of golf all year.

“It was a tough golf course, and if you don’t hit it well it will catch up with you,” said Calhoun, who already has signed to play golf next season at Georgia Southern. “I forgot about it and worked hard and looked for another tournament to play in. I walked off the course (at Innsbruck) after the last putt was done and I said that was over with. That’s golf. You have good days and bad days. You just forget about it and move on.”

Last season, Calhoun became a first-team All-American as the Cavaliers’ No. 4 seed at Scottsboro, Ala.’s Goose Pond Colony Golf Course. The team’s third seed that year, Bill Jones III, even earned medalist honors.

“All of us played well last year; that’s the past, though, and there are a lot more to focus on right now and we’re going to try to make the best of it,” Calhoun said.

So it goes in the game of golf. Players sometimes enjoy their strolls along the front nine and then want to chunk their clubs into the lake by day’s end. What keeps Calhoun from being totally disappointed, however, is that marquee players on the PGA Tour even struggle every now and then.

“You can ask Tiger Woods or anyone,” Calhoun said. “You’re not always going to hit the ball good. But those who keep grinding and keep working hard at it will make it. That’s the attitude I try to have.”

Calhoun did not start playing competitive golf until he was a freshman at Vidalia High School, where his team won consecutive state titles his first two years. He concentrated only on baseball his junior season, but a chance outing on a golf course made him anxious to try the fairways again.

“I really wasn’t happy with golf my junior year and thought baseball might be the ticket,” Calhoun said. “(On the golf course), I got the itch again one day and fell back in love with it I guess.”

Now, not only is Calhoun optimistic about next week, his coach actually thinks he is due for a strong tournament showing.

“The guy has won two tournaments this school year,” said Dover, referring to a fall tournament hosted by Piedmont College that Calhoun also won. “It’s not like he’s dogged it all along. We made an adjustment with his swing (posture) and we’ll see how it works out. If he sticks with that, we feel he will do fine.”

And with Calhoun knowing the program’s fourth consecutive national title is at stake, repeating as a first-team All-American is not a concern.

“You try not to think about it,” Calhoun said. “If you think about the wrong things, you won’t get the things you need to get done. We’ll take it as just another golf tournament, like there is no tomorrow and give it everything we’ve got. Everything else will take care of itself.”

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