If the Wake Forest men's golf team wants to win the NCAA title this year, the Deacon players are going to have to become a little more familiar with the course. The Deacs competed this past week at the Ping/Golfweek Preview on the Karsten Creek course in Stillwater, Okla., home of the 2003 NCAA Championships, and didn't fare so well.

Overall, the team finished in sixth place and got a stiff challenge from both the par-72, 7,290-yard Fazio layout and the competitive field of 15 of the nation's elite teams.

"It's a very difficult course," Head Coach Jerry Haas said. "If you hit a bad shot, you're going to make a double (bogey). A lot of teams walked away mentally depressed."

In talking about the course, coach Haas kept referring to its difficulty noting that it has very little give. Besides lightning-quick greens, the course also boasts very penal rough, which will only be higher and thicker by the time of the year end championship.

Although Coach Haas recognizes the immense challenge that the course presents, he was very glad for the team to "get a look" at it.

On their first go-around on the treacherous Karsten Creek course the Deacs got off to a rocky start, posting a 16-over-par 304 as everyone seemed to struggle in round one.

Senior Cortland Lowe had the day's best round for the team, but still only managed to card a three-over-par 75. The Deacs bounced back slightly during the final 36 holes with rounds of 296 and 298 to finish the event. For the tournament, the Deacs ended up at 34-over par and a distant 18 strokes back of team champion Augusta State, who wound up six strokes clear of runner-up Clemson.

Despite the apparent struggles of the team, Coach Haas was positive about the way his team felt after the tournament was over.

"I was very encouraged by the attitude they showed and I think it will carry over," Haas said. "(The course) is not an impossible task. We're hoping to get back there and hopefully win it (the NCAA Championships) in May."

Coach Haas went on to say that the team that wins the NCAA Championships "will come down to the team that mentally handles it all. You need to be patient and keep plugging along."

Cortland Lowe, who had the team's low round for the first 18 holes, did the same for round two as he shot a one-under-par 71, the team's lowest score for the tournament. The senior found himself in ninth place after the first two rounds, but fell back a few spots to finish in a tie for 13th place after a four-over 76 in the final round brought him to 6-over par for the event. This position marked the second best finish of Lowe's career.

Even one of the nation's hottest golfers, junior All-American Bill Haas, was cooled off. Haas got stronger as the event went on, but it still wasn't enough to crack the Top 20. The junior posted scores of 77-75-73 to end with a nine-over-par total of 225. This ended Haas' run of two consecutive victories and three straight top-three finishes.

Senior Brent Wanner wound up one stroke behind Haas and in a tie for 25th place with a 10-over-par total of 226. This marked the second straight low finish for Wanner after a quick start in the first two events.

Finishing next highest for the Deacs was senior Chad Wilfong. Wilfong shot rounds of 76, 77 and 75 to finish with a 12-over-par total of 228 and in a tie for 32nd place.

The Deacs' lineup was rounded out by freshman Kyle Reifers. Reifers was erratic in his first collegiate competition following up an opening 12-over 84 with a two-over 74, but then backing that round up with a nine-over 81. For the tournament he finished in a tie for 59th place with a 23-over-par total of 239.

The sixth-ranked Deacs will look to rediscover their winning ways next week at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate at the Old Overton Club in Birmingham, Ala. This will be the team's final tuneup before taking a break for the winter.