During the university golfing season, GolfChannel.Com will test weekly to replace what’s going on within college golf. When it comes to being NCAA nearby material, Stanford examines many packing containers. The Cardinal honestly skipped the eye test, boasting a deep group led by seniors Brandon Wu and Isaiah Salinda. They are ranked 31st with the aid of Golfstat and clear of the at-huge cutoff in the low- to mid-60s. At this point in the season, they have played at the most robust timetable in the United States. However, due to one regulation, Stanford’s postseason hopes – and some different top-50 groups that rely on – may be at risk.

Twelve years in the past, the .500 rule has been brought – incredibly controversially – to Division I guys’ golf. Starting with the 2007-08 season, teams wanted to complete the normal season and conference play with a .500 or higher head-to-head document against Division I warring parties to be eligible for regional play. This change’s main purpose became to provide mid-majors and smaller-budget programs greater opportunities to play better tournaments and teams, even as stopping a % %-like mentality from the elites.

Some tournaments have been challenging for each person to break into,” East Tennessee State teacher Fred Warren stated. “And inside the past, in case you were playing that strong of agenda, you may end backside 1/2 of the sphere, and even though you’re underneath .500, you could finish with a pretty appropriate ranking and make a nearby.” In that sense, the .500 rule has carried out its process.

These days, there are plenty of competitive alternatives at some point in the calendar—and for almost everyone. Fifteen years ago, might a crew like Rice have been capable of playing an elite occasion like the Querencia Cabo Collegiate? Rarely. The rule has brought groups from the SEC and Ivy League together more often, and the extra number of connections has improved the accuracy of the ratings.

But is the rule essential? “I don’t think it’s assisting our game as much as it’s supporting some groups,” Alabama instructed Jay Seawell. “… I think it’s made the normal season weaker.” In the primary season of the .500 rule, four groups that might usually have been ranked nicely enough to make regionals – Arizona, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, and Minnesota – completed the season underneath .500 and didn’t qualify for the postseason.

As coaches have adapted, there were merely seven additional instances in 10 seasons. But the collective adjustment has included consequences. While more essential tournaments attract pinnacle teams, the trade is watering down the normal-season product. There’s little incentive for coaches to pork up schedules.

“If you have too many good colleges [in an event], a few good teams are scared of coming due to the fact they’re going to lose to too many,” Arizona instructs Jim Anderson stated. Thus, there’s a developing fashion of coaches at elite applications scheduling one or “cupcake” events to pad their crew’s head-to-head document. No one likes this technique in university soccer, so why is it OK in college golf? It’s undoubtedly terrible optics. “It’s now not wholesome for the game or the kids at the teams to agenda a softer event on a motive just to get wins,” Stanford instructs Conrad Ray said. Some could argue that the .500 rule provides an element of a scheduling method. Others would highly examine it with a recreation of roulette.

With most coaches putting their schedules 12 months in advance and every person required to fasten their spring schedules using the autumn stop, there’s little room for tons of adversity. What occurs if a crew is without its great player inside the fall, digs itself a deep hole, and despite climbing in the ratings, can’t get above .500? Or a crew, as we saw with Iowa in the fall, receives an unlucky DQ in a massive event, and it fees them a local bid? Or a team is waiting to have pinnacle-5 expertise – and sets up a top-5 schedule – but loses a participant to the pros and damage halfway through the season? We see it appear with Alabama this season.

Senior Davis Riley grew to seasoned earlier than the spring, and sophomore Davis Shore is currently out with damage. While Alabama is not the same group it became, its miles are still near first-class. But with occasions plus the SEC Championship left, the No. 21 Tide’s 57-37-1 file isn’t that comfy. Honestly, it’s unfair that the first-rate teams must suffer for the advantage of smaller faculties. In university basketball, the second half of the season is nearly solely conference play. Like teams play each other. Also, mid-majors have a course to the postseason by either prevailing in their conference or finishing reasonably inside the scores.

Why can’t university golfing observe this version again? For the coolest of the game, the .500 rule might need to move away. Smaller applications can host tournaments at unusual venues to attract suitable groups, and the regular-season product will improve because the quality teams and gamers will be tough themselves in opposition to the satisfactory extra regularly. We want extra Matthew Wolff vs. Collin Morikawa. (College golf’s most significant names played only one common event this season.)

We used to compete towards every different and now not fear approximately losing,” Seawell said. “Your rating meant something because you advanced conduct inside the difficult tournaments you played in. … You can’t do this sufficiently anymore due to the .500 rule. I assume correct things occur while you get beat up. These youngsters want to understand where they virtually stand, and I think this rule has kept them from gambling on some of the nice players inside the United States of America more frequently.