Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
And we welcome you back here to Howktok downtown Grand
Forks as we close out the show talking a little
undy men's golf tonight with head coach Todd Shaffer. Everybody,
this guy is a Hall of famer at the University
of North Dakota. He's leading the men's golf program. He
certainly was amongst other hall of famers when we put
(00:23):
in Rob Styles, a former head golf coach himself and
wrestling coach. What a unique, you know, inter combination that was.
And then his team right after that they went on
the road and they took down by the way, let's
all give a big round of applause again for winning
the Zach Johnson Invite in West des Moines, Iowa. That
is not easy, folks, that is not easy, and some
(00:44):
youngsters got it done. Head coach Todd Schaefer, welcome to
the program. You're leaning on some freshmen right away. They
were some of the guys that were in the mix
and fighting for you right there to get you across
the line that week down in Iowa.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
That's for sure. Paul, Thanks for first of all, for
how many here. Yeah, talk about man's golf. It's exciting
times right now, teams getting competitive and it's kind of
fun and juices are flowing a little bit. Yeah. Yes,
the freshmen they did on standing job. Like I mentioned
to you before, we slept on a lead that you
don't know what's gonna happen the next day, and you
can go two ways, and these guys fought and battled
(01:21):
through it, and at the end of the third round,
the freshmen were kind of the boys that pulled us through,
so they were not afraid to win.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
One is Carver Lars and he's an Alexandria, Minnesota native,
and obviously he grew up playing really good golf courses
to grow up around. And you know, you know when
you have that type land in Millery I think is
another one out of Saint Louis Park. So they're just
really from down the road. I mean, it's not like
it's a whole new world up in these parts and
the golf courses and the type of golf that they're seeing,
(01:50):
so it almost it almost must seem like a seamless
thing coming out of high school. They've played against a
lot of these guys in various tournaments growing up and
and it's just kind of continuation to get them into
your program and acclimated fairly quickly.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
They You know, these kids these days, they play a
tremendous amount of junior golf tournaments. They travel a lot,
they're playing in the winners. I mean, they're competing against
people at all levels. So they're not afraid to get
him competition and show their talents. So they've definitely proven
the point that they can do that. And you know,
I got to give a shout out. I think this
all kind of started with our leadership through Nate Pearl
(02:26):
and his ability to go out.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
And win events.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, and it's kind of a copycat deal where when
Nate does it, the team hall, you know, realize, you
know what, if he's good enough to do this, we
can do it too.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
So well, Nate's interesting in the fact that he's a
West Fargo native. Now he's a junior. I'm getting so old.
These guys just fly through this program. That happened so fast.
He's out of Cheyenne. But I think you mentioned like
you really didn't see him because of COVID and everything,
and he really hadn't played that much golf up until
that point.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Well, a good story about Nate pearl is the fact
that he never started golf until COVID, So you start
off in twenty twenty and quickly learned how to play
a game well and fast. By the time he was
a junior, he won the state championship here in North
Dkota and repeated as a senior. He's won in the
North Dakota State Amateur. Yeah, he's won the Birchmont and
(03:16):
the Vanderslus and get if he's near the top.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Of a win in Termany, he's coming out with it.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
He just has that knack and tenacity to figure out
away and that's an interesting trait to have, you know
as well as anybody that some guys just have it
and some guys don't, and that's pretty cool. Carson Scarbroot,
a local player I think, kind of had a you know,
a nice upkick basically here in the recent week or so,
so that's good to see as well. Certainly has a
(03:41):
lot of talent. It's good to see him starting to
find a little bit of a groove.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Yeah. One word for Carson. With his family, I've known
Tim forever and he played hockey at the university here
as well as his grandfather. I was a Paul Barre
at his funeral. Yeah, he's in the Hall of Fame
for basketball. He is competitor. They're just those they're so
competitive scarp roots and if they're in a situation of
competition or going to thrive.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
When you've had I think his cousin play for you
as well just recently, Alex was here for a little
while as well. So you know, those scarp ruds they
come around, you know that you're going to kind of
get that cut from the clock that they're going to
be a competitor. I think he got Joseph Corton from Moorhead, Minnesota,
so he's a spud that has had some good success.
Keg and call her as out of Maple Grove, Minnesota.
(04:24):
So these guys are right from the neighborhood that whole
team basically in a lot of senses, right from down
the road basically right.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Well, from our standpoint to be able to bring players
in and so forth, we got to kind of recruit locally.
It's difficult to bring him from down south up to
North Dakota from the men's side anyway, and so we're
trying to, you know, like I mentioned before, with Kennedy
retire and he did a heck of a job with
the Bison program, and I've developed a team of Midwesterns
and a lot of city kids and so forth, So
(04:53):
it wasn't a bad idea to kind of follow his
lead and try to find the best players I can
around the Midwest to get him up here.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Well, it's exciting to see because you know, you see
these guys on leader boards in the summertime events and
you just feel like you have a better idea who
they are and you get to know them a little
bit better. And obviously the University of North Dakota is
providing an avenue to to to also further their academic
piece inside for a lot of them as well. So
great to see that. Now, do you have any seniors
(05:21):
on this team at all? You're or you've got maybe one?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Well, I have one senior academically, he red shirted last year,
so he's a junior junior eligibility. So we have eight
roster spots and that's the max we can have, and
so they're all juniors are below at this point.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Yeah, what what do you think of that?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Was?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Did you did you have any idea that because you
didn't have that many veterans. Was that a was that
exciting going into this year? Was there apprehension like, oh, well,
we're not we don't have a lot of veterans, so
to speak, Well, how did you approach this season?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I just kind of think it doesn't matter if you're
a junior, freshman, senior. It's what your building does on
your golf course, because the strokes don't lie. I mean, yeah,
if you can go and compete, you can come on
and compete. It doesn't matter what age you're at. So
I know, it was an outstanding group of kids coming
in a lot of all state players and so forth
like that, and uh, they've really pushed the envelope and
that's the best depth we've ever had, which makes it
(06:13):
more competitive qualifying. I you know, I exempt nobody for
the first event and the guys had to go earn
it to play, and uh, never been able to do
that as far as you know, uh, bringing different players
if they're not performing.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah, I mean it's just basically the proof is in
the pudding. Your resume is what you shot, basically, and
that's that's great to have that competitiveness run and flow here,
and of course it runs into you you're gonna be
in action tomorrow and Thursday. Tomorrow you're in play at
the Fargo Country Club and then coming up on Thursday
back here in Grand Forks at the Grand Forks Country
(06:47):
Club in a unique well it's not called a Ryder Cup,
but it is going to be a bit of a
match play dual type event, and tell us a little
bit of a how it came about and how it's
going to flow here over the next couple of days.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
So we had a golf tournament that was canceled this
year down Saint Thomas and Ekron Miller got the new
job at the in North Dakota State. So I contact
him to congratulate him on getting the job, and I
just mentioned him, you know, when we lost a tournament
and I said, hey, do you got any time available
in October?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
We'd love to you know, play it. Yeah, And he said,
well let me look.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
He was kind of you know, schedules pretty full, but
he picked out a date and then he said, hey,
let's do a home and home and I'm going, God,
that's even better.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
You know, I've been here.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I think I'm starting my seventh year and we've never
played a home game of any sort.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
So this is our first for.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Us, and so will this be strictly match play both days?
How well? Will be set up both days.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
So it's set up like a regular golf tournament. You
can have five players on each team. You'll come four
low scores each round, okay, straight stroke playing low score wins.
And then it's good for individuals that haven't participated yet.
So the other three players will play as individuals, and
he has four individuals, so they get to you know,
play part of the tournament, compete and try to win
(08:01):
in the individual low Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Well this is great, So for both programs, essentially, this
is a fantastic opportunity to kind of continue your fall
season and have some good competition.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I mean they've been the premier team in the Summing
League for you know, a decade or so. It's a
great opportunity for us to see where we're at if
we can compete with them, and you know, I hope
it's something we can continue do it. We're seventy miles apart.
These guys know each other, they're just wearing different uniforms.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Yeah, right, exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Well, the other thing that I was just gonna have
you touch on before I let you go, because you
mentioned you know, you've been here in this role for
as long as you have, and we haven't had a
chance to have a home event, and those are hard
to do in this region of the world, and here
you are able to have at least something like this
where people can actually come out and watch this if
(08:52):
they if they so choose to want to see some
of the great amateur players at the collegiate level in
the Upper Midwest. They're going to be on display at
the Grand Forks Country Club on Thursday.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yep, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
So yeah, we invite the public out if they want
to come out and watch some great golf. There's some
fantastic players out there, and I think they enjoy watching
the way. Hey what is it July October and the
weather's eighty degrees so weather's perfect.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
So if you have time, come on out and cheer
on North Dkota.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
What time will players be going off at T one
on Thursday?
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Thursday?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
They'll start at ten o'clock. The individuals will start first,
so there's only gonna be probably five tea times total. Okay, yeah,
so there'll be two North Dakota's playing with two NDSU players, yeah,
one through five, and then the individuals will match them
up also.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
So basically we'll go rather quickly since it's not a
full field event, it's just a duel. But at the
same time, a lot of great golf and the day
at least weatherwise here at my check, maybe we'll be
a perfect day here in Grand Forks tomorrow a little
windy at the Fargo Country Club. So I tell you what,
we're just tickled that you guys were able to go
out to the you know, to a tournament that included
(09:58):
Drake and Northern I and the Dakota schools like South
Dakota and NDSU, and when it all came to an end,
North Dakota was on the top line in the Division
one history. That's fantastic. Congratulations and we hope that these
guys continue with their great play. Appreciate this here tonight, Paul.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Thank you very much. We're excited for the event.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
And I gotta give a shout out to my volunteer assistant,
mister Dwayne Wadges, who he was in a car accident
today and he's doing well, but he's unable to help
me out for the next couple of days.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
So we'll have some subs in.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Well. My goodness, I just think so highly of Dwayne Wages.
Have known that guy since he was a youngster playing
at Ray Richards Golf Course, and as talented a golfer
as I've ever come across as well, so and even
a better person. So our best at Dwayne here in
the coming days ahead in his recoveries. So thanks for this,
and let's have a great week ahead.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
All right, Paul, thanks you.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
All right, there's Todd Shafer, head coach Then's Golf. University
of North Dakota and North Dakota will be hosting NDSU
here on Thursday. They're down at NDSU tomorrow for part
one at the Fargo Country Club, but things getting underweight
about ten a m. On Thursday here at the Grand
Porks Country Club for the un d portion of the
(11:11):
NDSU duel. From there, they'll be out in North Carolina
at the close of the month, and then they'll be
I guess getting ready throughout the winter for their spring season,
which we'll get coach Schaefe for on to talk about
at another time. Again, I'll tell you there's a lot
happening this week here with you and d Sports of
course U and D soccer is hitting the road as well.
Will also tell you that U and D women's golf
(11:33):
they just finished out at the Pat Lesser out in Seattle,
and of course, as I mentioned, Sophie Cook of Hawley
was the leader. The freshman finished top twenty with the
seventy five, seventy three, seventy three over the last couple
of days. And we should mention as well un D
volleyball safe travels to them as they hit the road
to face Omaha and Kansas City. And of course you'll
be able to drop the puck on a brand new
(11:55):
season of U and D hockey. Tim Hennessey Mike Lemoine
coming up on Saturday night el Finglestead Arena. The bud
Light U Indie Hockey pre game show from rel Finglestead
Arena will get underway at five thirty across the Fighting
Hawks Radio network and they'll drop the puck at six
oh seven. Don't forget there's a party on the plaza.
It's gonna be a lot of fun in the lead
up to Game one. I know it's just an exhibition,
(12:17):
but don't tell anybody that it's gonna be a great
atmosphere to be a part of. For Game one is
North Dakota takes on Manitoba in exhibition play and then
it's all to play for from there and you can
catch all season long Tim Hennessy, Mike Lamoine, Darren Looker
on road trips as well, and make sure you tune
in all season long coming up for you indie football.
(12:37):
As I mentioned on Saturday, it's Jack Michaels, Mike Berg,
myself from Cedar Falls, Iowa in the Unidome. North Dakota
taking on Northern Iowa will be on the air at
three with the Undie Football Tailgate Show presented by bud Light,
kicking it just after four all across the Fighting Hawks
Radio Network for Jennifer back at the Flagship Studios doing
an outstanding job. To all of you listening across the
(12:58):
way and on the fight Hawks Radio Network. You can
go to Hawk Talk anytime to listen to our conversations.
To everybody that joined us out here live tonight at
the five h six pub, thank you for joining us.
Have a great night, everybody.