The men’s golf team better have its sunblock ready for today’s opening rounds of the spring season.

N.C. State opens its season much like the women’s golf team did earlier this week, with a tournament in Puerto Rico.

The Wolfpack opens with moderate expectations, needing someone to step up and take on a leadership role, according to coach Richard Sykes.

“I don’t know who’s going to take that role, or if anybody will take it,” Sykes said. “But we’re going to need somebody to take it in order to be a very competitive team.”

Sykes said he has several players who can be leaders, but he wants performance, rather than expectations, to determine who those leaders are.

“I want them to determine it,” he said.

One player who may be able to step up and lead State is freshman Matt Hill. The Ontario, Canada, native performed well in all three of the team’s tournaments in the fall.

“Matt played in all three events,” Sykes said. “His stroke average for the fall was under par.”

Hill, who was one of the most dominant junior players in Canada during his prep career, has been selected to represent Canada on its national team.

“The sky might be the limit with Matt because he’s got a lot of experience most freshmen don’t have,” Sykes said. “He’s quite a good player.”

Another player to watch out for, according to Sykes, is Chad Day, a freshman from Raleigh. Like his classmate Hill, Day also performed quite well during the fall. In the final round of the fall season, Day led the Pack by shooting a three-under 69.

“Chad’s played quite well and he’s going to be a good player for us,” Sykes said.

Freshmen don’t often become team leaders, but both Day and Hill seem to have what it takes to lead State into spring competition, according to the coach.

“They are going to be good ones,” Sykes said.

Sykes also voiced excitement about seeing how sophomore Kent Copeland, a transfer from UNC-Greensboro, would perform in Puerto Rico.

“He could have helped us last year,” Sykes said. “He [has] led our qualifying for the spring, so I expect big things out of Kent.”

State should be more than prepared to play in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, today after playing more golf than usual during spring practice, the coach said.

As opposed to practicing at local driving ranges or working at its short game practice facility, the Pack has been playing rounds.

“We decided for this spring we were going to see how much we could play golf,” Sykes said.

And play golf they did. State’s golfers have played 27 full rounds since spring practice opened on Jan. 9.

“With the competition like it is now you can’t wait to get ready,” Sykes said. “When they [the team] hit Puerto Rico, I wanted them to have played a lot of golf.”

So as the Pack heads south prepared to play, the question of who will lead State remains unanswered for the coach, at least until play begins today.

“I know that we have good players,” Sykes said. “A lot depends on how well the good players adjust to the competition and who can take over our leadership role. We are going to need someone to take it in order to be a very competitive team.”