Granum leads golf to third straight title

While some athletes make history under bright lights and screaming fans, others master their sport a bit more under the radar. The latter is the type of athlete you might consider SEAS junior and golf superstar Clark Granum. A mainstay in the starting lineup since his freshman year, Granum has earned titles and shattered records for the men’s golf program. And while men’s basketball coach Joe Jones and women’s basketball star Judie Lomax have seized recent sports headlines, Granum has been quietly putting away on the green, leading his squad to historic victories in the Ivy League. Just last weekend at the Ivy League championships, Granum helped his team win its third consecutive league title—all of which were claimed during Granum’s career here at Columbia.

On top of that, Granum has made quite a name for himself in the individual rankings. Placing in the top five at every Ivy championship in which he’s played, Granum has been named all-Ivy League every year since he was a freshman. At this weekend’s championships, Granum tied with Penn’s Scotty Williams for the top individual score of 214 after the three-day, 54-hole tournament.

“Clark really pushed all the guys on the team in terms of score. He is the best player on our team,” head coach Rich Mueller said. “He challenges people—not in an antagonistic way, but in a supportive way—to play their best. If you play with Clark, you’ll learn a thing or two about the sport.”

And for this golfing machine, the Ivy League tournament was just another day on the green. In a competition that can cause top players to crumble under the pressure, Granum kept his cool and dominated the course. Putting and driving as he would at practice, he turned in a complete performance at the three-day championships.

“I think the only way this league tournament was different from any other tournament we play is that we all knew what was on the line. We won for three years and were really trying to defend the title,” Granum said. “Every year, we have the same goal: to win the Ivy League tournament.”

And that’s just what he did. Even though the team entered the competition as underdogs, Granum and his teammates clawed their way to the top after suffering in the first round.

“We definitely weren’t expecting to be in the lead, but we handled it well the last day,” Granum said. “I played my best golf in the last round. I didn’t really make any mistakes.”

Playing flawlessly in the final round of the competition, Granum fired a three-under par 67 on the par-70, 7,066-yard course and successfully maintained the high level of play his coach and teammates are used to seeing every day at practice.

“I think at the Ivy championships, Clark just did what he normally does,” Mueller said. “Clark is capable of shooting the scores he did at the Ivies on any given day. I don’t want to say I expected him to win or anything, but let’s just say I knew he was going to play extremely well.”

Now that Ivies are over, Clark will take his sport to the next level. In case you were under the impression that Lomax is the only Lion ready to go pro, think again. After three years of triumph on the green, Granum recently announced his aim to qualify for the U.S. Open on May 11.

The qualifying rounds consist of an 18-hole local round, a 36-hole sectional qualifying stage, and finally the national round. A couple years ago, Granum attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open, but failed to advance past the local rounds. This year, though, after developing his fairways and striking, Granum is more prepared for the contest.

“I think I have a shot at advancing through locals if I play my best,” Granum said. “Sectionals will be a lot tougher.”

“If he makes it, great. If he doesn’t, that’s fine too,” Mueller said. “If he really wants to pursue professional golf, though, he can definitely do it.”

For the qualifications, Granum plans to head to Galloway National Golf Club in Galloway, N.J. Just two years ago, he earned a third-place individual finish in the Ivy League championships on the Galloway course. Having proven himself before on this difficult and windy course, Granum is prepared to give the U.S. Open a shot.

“We’ve played on that course at least a dozen times,” Mueller said. “It’s extremely difficult, but I think he stands a great chance at it. He’s accustomed to that pressure level.”
And how has Granum been preparing for this?

“He’s been winning Ivy League championships,” Mueller said.

Still unsure about his long-term plans for his golfing career, though, Granum plans to see what happens in the qualifying rounds and take it from there.

“I’ll keep at it if I don’t make it,” Granum said. “If anything, it will be good experience.”

So, though the Ivy competition is over, Clark and his teammates still have some more work to do. First up for Granum are the U.S. Open qualifiers scheduled for May 11. Then Granum and his squad will compete in the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, for which regional play is slated to take place May 20-22.