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Barlow deeply rooted in Illinois success
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Zach Barlow has the second-best stroke average on the team this spring.
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April 17, 2008
Champaign, Ill. - Zach Barlow epitomizes the upswing in Illinois golf. From a recruiting standpoint, head coach Mike Small has reached to the far ends of the state - Quincy to the west and Metropolis to the south to snag two players (Luke Guthrie and Mason Jacobs) that have combined to win five state championships for next year's class. Three years ago, Small landed another state champion from southern Illinois in Barlow.
From a team standpoint, Illinois has had some success this spring and will test its momentum against some of the nation's and more importantly the Big Ten's best at the Boilermaker Invitational this weekend, the final tune-up before next week's Big Ten Championships.
Barlow hails from Percy, Ill., population 942, some 200 miles southwest of Champaign, and is as thrilled as anyone to be representing the University of Illinois. "My family grew up U of I fans and to represent the state school should be the dream of everyone," Barlow said. "Coming from a small town to here was a little of a shock. I feel fortunate to be a part of such a great program. With some hard work, things are starting to pay off."
Small noticed that enthusiasm for Illinois right away. "It's a big deal for him to play here and to put on the Illinois uniform and that's huge for us," Small said.
Barlow, the 2003 IHSA Class A state champion, was one of just two individuals from Trico High School to ever win a state championship, joining Allen Deppe, who won the 100- and 220-yard dashes at the 1966 state track meet. Barlow wasn't just happy to be at Illinois, he set his sights on improving his game to make a real difference in competition.
"My short game fit the courses in my area," Barlow said. "In starting to play longer courses in college, though, I knew I had to focus on improving my yardage."
Barlow redshirted as a freshman in 2005-06 and played in just three tournaments for the Illini in 2006-07. This season, he's second on the team stroke average. Barlow credits strength coach Steve Oldenburg for helping to improve his longer drives off the tee. "I don't think many people realize how important a good workout program is in golf," Barlow said. "With Steve's help, I'm stronger and that takes the pressure off my short game."
"Zach was a good solid player coming in, but he knew he had some work to do," Small recalled. "His ball striking has gained some 20 yards from last year and his short game has improved. You put those two together and that's why he's shooting better scores."
Barlow helped bolster a young team going through some growing pains in the fall. He had two top-ten finishes - a fourth at the D.A. Weibring Invitational and a team-best sixth at the fall-ending Wolverine at Mission Inn, and carried that into a fourth in the first event of the spring in Pensacola, Fla.
It has been Barlow's work ethic and enthusiasm to learn that has been most evident. After undergoing back surgery during his sophomore year of high school, he turned to Steve Spray at St. Louis Country Club to help turn this fledging player into a champion.
"At the time, I was really up in the air as to whether I was going to play competitively and I owe it to Steve for his work in developing my game into what it has become," said Barlow, a sport management major.
Under the tutelage of Small, Barlow continued that growth and has emerged into a key figure for the Illini. "Zach is a hard-worker and a great competitor," Small said. "You need someone like that on the golf team. When he has a bad round, he generally concentrates and comes back with a good one. He's shot five rounds under par this year and that shows you what he's capable of. He's improved a lot from last year."
Barlow's play in last weekend's Fighting Illini Spring Invitational demonstrates Small's point. After fighting through tough weather conditions to score an 81 in the opening round, Barlow's focus resulted in the second best round of anyone in the tournament, a 74 in round two, which included two straight birdies on the back nine.
Illinois, which trailed by five strokes after round one, claimed its third team title of season and has changed the expectations of everyone in the program.
"Everything you do has a tendency to become a habit," Small said. "The more you're at the top, the more you expect to be at the top. You're not playing other teams as much as you're playing against the golf course and yourself. I think we take the confidence booster (from last weekend) that we got the job done."
Illinois has faced just two Big Ten teams this spring, defeating both Ohio State and Penn State in winning the Marshall Invitational. With the Illini, Michigan State, Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern and host Purdue, Big Ten schools comprise nearly half of the 13-team field this weekend. Charlotte, number four in the latest Golf World computer rankings, is the headliner at 7,467-yard, par-72 Kampen Course that will host the NCAA Championships next month. Illinois is sixth among Big Ten teams in the computer at 56, behind Michigan State (23), Indiana (24), Penn State (36), Michigan (44), and Ohio State (48).
"This will be a good precursor for the Big Ten," Small said. "This time of the year, you try to build momentum. We're not worrying about our golf swing as much. We're just going out and playing golf and showing the faith and reliability from what we've learned all winter."
Barlow and the Illini hope the hard work of everyone on the team pays off down the stretch.
