January 9, 2006 -
FLORENCE, SC – Adam and Luke Hart, twin brothers from Blythewood, S.C., are seniors on Francis Marion University's golf team. One of their last options four years ago was to play golf at FMU. Adam and Luke Hart now contend it was the right choice as the two lead Francis Marion into its first year of NCAA Division I competition.
The Hart brothers came to Francis Marion to get college degrees and play golf. They looked at other schools such as the College of Charleston, but decided FMU was their best fit. They didn’t expect the team to do what it did in their freshman season of 2003 – win the NCAA Division II national championship. Although the Hart brothers didn’t play much in 2003, it did spark their enthusiasm to continue the success at FMU. “With no doubt the most memorable moment has been winning the national championship my freshman year. Our team worked harder than anybody,” said Adam. Luke added, “We learned a lot from the seniors that were on the national championship team, and since 2003 we have had to grow into leaders on the team.”
The Patriots have gone through some changes since 2003, and one of those has been moving to provisional Division I status. With the team moving to Division I and being seniors on the team, the Hart brothers have changed immensely since their freshman season. Luke said, “Now we know we have to step up and be leaders on this team.” Adam then admitted, “The biggest difference from my freshman year has to be maturity and physical ability. I have learned to hold my temper and make smart decisions on the course, but I still have some improvements to make during the rest of the season.”
So far this season, the Hart brothers have lived up to their leadership roles. FMU hosted the Raines Development Group Intercollegiate Tournament in late September where Luke tied for seventh (at 6-under-par) and Adam tied for ninth (-3), helping FMU finish second among 13 schools. At the Re/Max-UTC Fall Classic (Oct. 17-18), brothers Luke and Adam again led the Patriots. Luke tied for fifth (-2) and Adam tied for ninth (-1), helping the Patriots finish fourth among 16 schools.
Each time the Hart brothers head out onto the course it’s hard not to notice how close their final scores are. In the first two tournaments they played in this fall, they finished within three stokes of each other. Adam said, “It’s very competitive playing with my brother. We have always battled each other since we started playing.” Luke added, “We help each other by pushing one another, and it helps us to play harder against other individuals.”
After nine rounds of competition this past fall, only 10 strokes separate the two. Adam owns a 71.11 stroke average with five sub-par rounds, while Luke has a 72.22 stroke average with four sub-par rounds.
For their careers, Luke owns a 75.16 stroke average over 73 rounds of competition and Adam has a 76.69 average over 74 rounds.
Being the competitors they are, when asked who would win in a head-to-head competition, Adam said he would win, and Luke said that he would come out on top. Then both admitted it’s who ever is playing better golf at the time.
