North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: One Former Wolfpack All-America Helps Another
6/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
June 16, 2005
BY TIM PEELER
PINEHURST - For the last three days, former NC State four-time All-America and 1991 ACC champion Kelly Mitchum has been working on the driving range at Pinehurst Resort, catching up with old friends and soaking in the atmosphere surrounding the second U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
 |
Thursday's US Open tee times
Tim Clark, 8:28 a.m. (No. 10 tee)
Carl Pettersson, 12:26 p.m. (No. 1 tee)
|
Mitchum, a member of the Pinehurst Resort's teaching staff, walked 18 holes with Clark, showing him the good locations to hit the ball off the tee. He showed him some places he should aim for on the difficult, sloping greens. And, more importantly, he showed him the places not to aim for.
"I was just helping him with my local knowledge," said Mitchum, who won All-America honors in each of his four years with the Wolfpack from 1990-93. "I tried to show him where the greens slope off and some of the places he will definitely want to avoid."
Mitchum believes the course is in great shape heading into Thursday's first round, maybe a little more difficult than when Payne Stewart won the only other Open here in 1999.
"It's playing a little firmer than it did in 1999," Mitchum said. "It's been nice and dry the last few days. The USGA will have to get a little careful with the greens to make sure they don't get them unplayable. I fully expect even par to be just a great score.
"If we don't get much breeze and they don't get the greens too brutal, there will be some good scores. We'll see some under-par rounds. But by the end of the week, even par will be a good score to have."
Mitchum is still a competitive player who has been in eight PGA Tour events in the last three years. He attempted to make the field for this year's Open, but did not advance out of local qualifying.
He is also still involved with NC State, and maintains close contact with Wolfpack coach Richard Sykes. He is also on the committee that is trying to raise money and get construction started on the Arnold Palmer-designed golf course located on Centennial Campus.
He's anxious to see the $16.5 million project - which includes a course, a clubhouse and teaching facilities for the men's and women's teams - get underway since NC State is the only ACC school without its own golf course. Construction will begin after the first $9 million is raised.
"We are in the fund-raising process right now," Mitchum said. "Hopefully, we will get the money raised so that we can get it started. It's been a long time coming.
"When I was there a long, long time ago, we thought we would have a course by the time I left. We still don't have it. I think it will be something that will be very beneficial not only to the golf team, but also to the entire NC State community."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
