PALM DESERT, Calif. – After a 115-day layoff, the Wichita State men's golf team returns to action on Friday at the 2022 Wyoming Desert Match Play in Palm Desert, California. The action represents the first tournament of the spring season, which features five invitationals before the American Conference Championship April 22-24.
 
The field includes eight teams seeded 1-8: San Francisco, Boise State, Colorado, Denver, Wyoming, UTEP, Wichita State, and Air Force. The Shockers open play on Friday against #2 Boise State, with play beginning at 8:48 am CST. Wichita State then takes on the winner or loser of the Colorado-UTEP match at 1:20 pm. Fans can follow live scoring via golfstat.

Unlike traditional tournaments which feature five golfers from each team with the lowest score dropped, the match play format allows for six golfers per squad competing against their opposite number.

"We have a lot of really good match play players," Head Coach Judd Easterling said. "It's a lot different than stroke play or medal play. It's just 1-on-1. It doesn't matter what else is going on, it's just you against that other player. Everybody does it differently, you've got to play the golf course but obviously you've got to play your opponent, as well."

The Shockers were last in action with a 12th place finish at the Little Rock Invitational October 18-19, posting a 302-291-291—884 team total highlighted by freshman Lucas Scheufler's fifth place finish.

This week's competition, which is hosted by Wyoming, will be held at The Classic Club, a 7,305 yard course located near Joshua Tree National Park.

"It's a really good golf course right on Highway 10, obviously the weather is going to be perfect, and it's going to be in great shape," Easterling said. "It can get windy there, it sits in the bottom of the valley. It's a good trip for us to get on grass, get in good weather, and hopefully get a little better."

Wichita State deploys a lineup of Scheufler, freshmen Michael Winslow, Adam Balatka and Tate Herrenbruck, then super juniors Brock Polhill and Dawson Lewis. Winslow will be making his collegiate debut after joining the Shockers at semester.

The Wyoming Desert Match Play is WSU's only action in the month of February. The Shockers will return to play on March 6 at Auburn's Tiger Invitational in Opelika, Alabama.
 

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2022 Wyoming Desert Match Play Fast Facts:
Dates: Friday-Saturday, Feb. 11-12, 2022
Host: Wyoming
Location: Palm Desert, Calif. (Classic Club)
Yardage: 7,305 Yard
Par: 72
Format: Match Play (Match 1 & 2 on Friday, Match 3 on Saturday)
Start Times: Match 1 (8:48 am), Match 2 (1:20 pm), Match 3 (TBD - pending results)
Live Scoring: golfstat.com
The Field: 8 teams
San Francisco, Boise State, Colorado, Denver, Wyoming, UTEP, Wichita State, and Air Force
 

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Shocker Lineup:
Lucas Scheufler (Fr.) – Finished the fall with the best round average on the team (74.1)
Michael Winslow (Fr.) – True freshman making his collegiate debut
Adam Balatka (Fr.) – Czech Republic native played in three fall tournaments...shot one-under at Mark Simpson Invitational
Tate Herrenbruck (R-Fr.) – Kansas transfer played in the final two fall invitationals...shot final round 75 in Little Rock
Brock Polhill (Jr.*) – Tops on the squad with three fall rounds in the 60s, including a pair of 67s
Dawson Lewis (Jr.*) – Led team with 54 birdies in the fall...three top-25 finishes

*=Reflects extra year of eligibility from COVID-19 season.
 

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Head Coach Judd Easterling on….
 
… The team's mentality entering the spring season:
"It's been a great atmosphere since we've been back. I think everybody's healthy and ready to get back in the swing of things. You just kind of get in that routine, and once you get going it's going to be April 24th before you know it and we're coming back from conference. We have a really good core group of young guys that are understanding what it's all about to be on our team and they've worked really hard in the last couple weeks, so we just need to go down there and get on grass and compete."

… The development of Lucas Scheufler:
"He came in here and played every event in the fall. I think he gets it now. He's understanding how to go to class, get lessons, go to practice, all the student-athlete life stuff. I think he's got that under his belt now, so if we can just get him on the golf course and let him compete I think he'll be great for us."
 
… Freshman Michael Winslow:
"He should be in the lineup regularly. He had a really good summer last summer. He's 18 going on 30, super mature guy, carries himself like a professional. He's fitting in like he's been here the entire fall. He looks at you when you're talking to him, he's listened every team meeting, he's done everything we've asked in a couple weeks, and I think he's going to be a really good player."