Asmussen | Smith on hand for Illini Quarterback Club

Photo by: The News-GazetteSAVOY — Lovie Smith is not a golfer. And he doesn't play one on TV.

Could he excel at the sport? Absolutely. He is a former college athlete who played football at a high level. Give him a nice set of clubs and a few lessons and Smith would be ripping drives down the fairway in no time.

But it is not his thing. It doesn't have to be.

Of the seven head coaches I have covered at Illinois the past 30 years, just three were avid golfers.

John Mackovic loved the sport and was very good at it. When he played in a golf outing, his team was going to win.

Bill Cubit plays often near his Florida home and enjoyed the sport during his time in C-U.

Tim Beckman became a golf fan while…