2008 Woodie Awards
Marquette senior golfer ends career on high note
By David Strittmatter
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In his four years, Gray's play drew praise, then disappointment and finally back to admiration. However, his incredible freshman year and his so-far redeeming senior year failed to book end similar success.
Gray opened his career with a fourth-place individual finish and claimed the runner-up spot in the final tournament of his freshman year. Then his swing deteriorated.
His freshman scoring average of 73.48 climbed a stroke higher. He followed up his two top-five finishes without any his sophomore year.
"It was definitely disappointing," Gray said. "I went from having a lot of birdie opportunities to needing to make up-and-downs for pars."
Gray cites no sole problem as the cause for his on-course struggles. As any golfer can attest, Gray went through a period where his ball-striking lost its crispness. Then his confidence wavered. A few times, his coach and teammates took him aside to talk about the obvious drop off in his play.
"After my freshman year, everyone was expecting it to continue," Gray said of his early success.
Coach Tim Grogan did not think his player was necessarily the problem. Grogan noticed Gray experimented with a variety of clubs.
"He messed around with equipment after his freshman year," Grogan said. "It got to the point where he just needed to return to the fundamentals that got him to Marquette."
Gray reclaimed his swing last year, but his scoring average ballooned to 75.83. He failed to break 70 the whole season.
"It's just harder in (Division I athletics)," he said. "You play 54 holes and hope for the best."
A rejuvenated Gray began his senior year looking to harness the magic from his first season. His long road back to form culminated with a third place finish last month at the Carter Plantation Invitational.
It sounds too simple, but Gray is just hitting the ball better. Irons he fanned to the right straightened out. Drives he sprayed found the fairway.
"Golf seems to be fun again for Teddy," senior Mike Bielawski said.
It seems ironic that the reputedly steady Gray put together such a rollercoaster career - starting up, spiraling down in corkscrew fashion, only to slowly ascend the hill again.
As much as his swing betrayed him, his short game remained loyal. To remain competitive, he improved his touch around the greens to compensate for everything else.
"He's a wedgemaster," Bielawski said, coining a new word with an easily decipherable meaning. "From the sand, Ted is better than 80 percent of the guys on Tour."
Yes, he meant the PGA Tour. Upon hearing that praise, Gray laughed.
"It's not a hard shot for me," he said with a smirk. "It's too bad I don't have more of those bunker shots."
Despite the lackluster play of his middle two years, the team won six times. Gray still chases an individual victory, but he has stamped his legacy on the most successful era in Marquette's golf program.
Published: 4/15/08 Section: Sports
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