PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Exactly one year and three days later, the Wichita State men's golf team will pick up right where it left off.
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The Shockers are one of 16 teams competing in the GCU Invitational, Monday and Tuesday at the Grand Canyon University Championship Golf Course.
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It's a fitting starting point for WSU, which saw its 2019-20 season abruptly canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the eve of this very same tournament.Â
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The GCU field, which consists of 94 total individuals, will play 36 holes on Monday and the final 18 holes Tuesday.
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Live scoring is available throughout via golfstat.com.
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Marcus Wochner, a junior college transfer from Odessa (Texas) Community College, is one of two players who will make their Shocker debuts.
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Redshirt freshman
Jack Glenn made impressive strides over the off-season. Oklahoma's 2019 Jim Thorpe Golfer of the Year did not see action last year but will be in the five-man lineup for the opener after posting WSU's second-best qualifying score in preseason practice rounds.
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WSU returns all six golfers who saw tournament action last year and adds three newcomers to the mix. The team practiced this fall but did not see intercollegiate action.
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The 2021 spring schedule is a sprint. WSU will compete six-consecutive weeks, culminating Apr. 22-24 with the American Athletic Conference Championship at Innisbrook Golf Resort near Tampa, Fla.
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The Shockers are making their fourth GCU Invitational appearance, however each of the other four regular season events will be first-time experiences.
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WSU travels to Springfield, Mo. on Mar. 22-23 for Missouri State's Twin Oaks Intercollegiate.
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The Shockers will join the field for one of collegiate golf's premier tournaments – the Hootie at Bulls Bay (Mar. 28-30 at Bulls Bay Golf Club near Charleston, S.C.). Now in its 16
th year, the event is co-hosted by South Carolina, the College of Charleston and – yes – the Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation.Â
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The following week, Easterling will take the Shockers back to his hometown, Columbia, Mo., to compete in the University of Missouri's Tiger Invitational (Apr. 5-6 at The Club at Old Hawthorn).
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The regular season concludes with a trip to the greater Houston area, Apr. 12-13, where WSU will take part in Sam Houston State's Bearkat Invitational.
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Event:Â GCU Invitational
Dates:Â Monday-Tuesday, Mar. 15-16
Format:Â Stroke play, 54 holes (36 on Monday, 18 on Tuesday)
Start Time:Â Shotgun starts at 7:45 a.m. Phoenix Time (9:45 a.m. CT)
Course:Â Grand Canyon University Championship Golf Course
Yardage:Â 7,176 (Day 1), 7,207 (Day 2)
Par:Â 71 (both days)
Live Scoring:Â Golf Stat
http://results.golfstat.com//public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=22168
The Field:Â 17 teams
Grand Canyon, Southern Miss, Cal-Baptist, Creighton, Pacific, Wichita State, Dixie State, Eastern Michigan, Northern Colorado, Drake, South Dakota, North Dakota State, Cal State-Northridge, Sacramento State, Omaha, Cal State-Fullerton, UTRGV.
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Shocker Lineup:
1 –
Zac Owens (R-So.*) -- Led the 2019-20 team in stroke average (71.3)
2 –
Jack Glenn – (R-Fr.*) – Making his collegiate debut; Posted second-best qualifying score.
3 –
Brock Polhill (So.*) – 75.2 stroke average in four tournaments last year.
4 –
Marcus Wochner (Jr.) –Odessa JC transfer; 2019 Honorable Mention NJCAA All-American.
5 –
Dawson Lewis (So.*) -- Team-high 62 birdies in 18 rounds last season.
*=Granted an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.
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