Some of the faces and names might change, but the primary goals remain the same for the USF's men's golf program.
* Winning the American Athletic Conference Championship.
* Qualifying for the NCAA Regionals, then the NCAA Championships.
By all accounts, Coach Steve Bradley's Bulls are well-equipped to achieve all of that — and more — during the spring season.
"We have a challenging schedule ahead of us,'' said Bradley, whose team enters the spring with a No. 23 national ranking. "But I believe everything we want to accomplish is right in front of us and it's very realistic to think we can get it done.''
The return of Jake Peacock is the biggest reason for USF's optimism. Last season, Peacock captured the AAC Tournament's individual championship (69-66-64-199), while helping the Bulls claim the team title (USF's sixth AAC championship under Bradley).
As a two-time All-AAC performer and the reigning AAC Player of the Year, which included two tournament victories and five top-10 finishes, Peacock is surrounded by high expectations. Peacock was No. 25 in the PGA Tour University preseason rankings. He was also named to the watch list for the Haskins Award, which goes to the nation's top men's golfer and is considered the sport's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
"I think Jake wants to win every golf tournament he tees it up in,'' Bradley said. "He has a lot he's playing for this semester. He knows about it and he doesn't shy away from it."
"I think he does a great job of compartmentalizing everything, doing his best to help our USF team reach its goals while setting himself up at the same time for what he wants to do in the future, in terms of turning pro. How he plays over the next four months will ultimately determine what that career path looks like. It's easy to get distracted by the unknown and the uncertainty of what his future could be, but Jake is very focused and very driven at accomplishing what's right in front of him.''
Peacock needs two tournament championships to become USF's all-time leader. If his trajectory stays on course, Peacock will be mentioned alongside the program's all-time greats, including Bradley's more recent standouts, Chase Koepka (a USF Athletic Hall of Famer) and Albin Bergstrom.
"We've got a history board inside the men's locker room that dates back to the 1970s and Jake can see his name up there now with the greats of USF's past,'' Bradley said. "He can see where he ranks in regards to wins and career stroke average. I know it's a motivation for him, whether he has verbalized it or not. Like any competitor, he'd like to see his name on top of the leaderboard. I'm sure that's extra fuel for him.''
With the departure of Sam Nicholson and Brock Healy, two of last season's mainstays, the Bulls are counting on seniors Cooper Smith and Shubham Jaglan to assume more responsibility at prominent positions in the lineup.
Smith, who transferred from North Florida in 2023, shot a career-low 67 in last season's NCAA Regional and finished 11th at the USF Invitational. Jaglan, a two-time All-AAC selection, also carded a 67 at the NCAA Regional and he ranks second all-time at USF with 17 eagles.
"The question for those guys has been, after mostly performing at four and five, can they raise their games to play at the two and three?'' Bradley said. "Based on what I've seen from Shuby and Cooper, they've definitely elevated their games to the point where it has helped us improve as a team. I think Shuby and Cooper are ready to do the job at an even higher level.''
The Bulls will count on junior Nino Palmquist, who appeared in four tournaments last spring, and sophomore Wilhelm Ryding, who appeared in five tournaments.
Meanwhile, freshmen James Hassell, Matthew Joseph and Diego Neira have also shown well in the early going and have the potential to contribute.
"We have a good squad and I think it's going to get even better,'' Bradley said.
The Bulls have their first full-fledged spring tournament beginning Feb. 15 at the Florida Gators Invitational in Gainesville.
"What you look for is steady improvement,'' Bradley said. "But right out of the gate, I'd like to see some of our guys get into the top 15 or top 10 (individually). They have that kind of talent and capability. And then you need continued improvement in order to peak at the end.''
The AAC championship.
The NCAA Regionals … with an opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
It's all within USF's line of sight.
"We have a nice, solid schedule in terms of competitiveness,'' Bradley said. "Now it's a matter of going out and performing.''
