OPELIKA, Ala. – The Wichita State men's golf team returns to action this weekend at the Tiger Invitational in Opelika, Alabama. Originally scheduled to run Sunday through Tuesday, the tournament will now begin Sunday at 7:00 am before concluding on Monday due to the threat of inclement weather.
The Shockers opened the fall portion of the 2022 season in mid-February with a 7th place finish at the Wyoming Desert Match play, dropping close matches to Boise State (4-2) and Colorado (3.5-2.5) before rolling past Air Force (5.5-0.5) to conclude play.
Brock Polhill led the Shockers with a 3-0 record, while
Adam Balatka and
Dawson Lewis each snagged a pair of victories.
"We went down there and overall those six guys got better," Head Coach
Judd Easterling said. "We were down there with four freshmen and two seniors, so I was really pleased. We hung in there with two really good golf teams. You could see the guys gaining some confidence, I was super proud of the way those young guys competed and how they handled themselves."
The Tiger Invitational will feature 16 teams, plus individual competitors from Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, and Vanderbilt. The field is highlighted by nationally ranked Auburn (17) and Vanderbilt (21), plus Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia State, James Madison, Kennesaw State, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, North Alabama, UNC-Wilmington, South Alabama, Southern Miss and Western Kentucky.
"It's a great opportunity to get the guys used to playing up against Auburn, Missouri, and those other SEC schools," Easterling said. "It's a championship golf course down there and a really strong field. This will be a good trip for the guys."
This week's competition, which is hosted by Auburn, will be held at Grand National, a par-72, 7,289-yard course located on the shore of Lake Saugahatchee.
Wichita State deploys a lineup of Lewis, Polhill, and freshmen
Michael Winslow,
Joe Bultman and
Max Wojciechowski. The Shockers tee off at 8:30 am on Sunday.
The Shockers will be off next weekend before next returning to action with the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate, hosted by Missouri State on March 21-22.
2022 Tiger Invitational Fast Facts:
Dates: Sunday-Monday, March 6-7, 2022
Host: Auburn
Location: Opelika, Ala. (Grand National)
Yardage: 7,289 Yard
Par: 72
Format: Continuous play Sunday until stopped by weather/darkness, play resumes Monday
Start Times: 7:00 am Sunday (Shockers tee off at 8:30 am)
Live Scoring: golfstat.com
The Field: 16 teams
Auburn (17), Vanderbilt (21), Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia State, James Madison, Kennesaw State, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, North Alabama, UNC-Wilmington, South Alabama, Southern Miss and Western Kentucky.
Shocker Lineup:
Dawson Lewis (Jr.*) – Led team with 54 birdies in the fall...three top-25 finishes
Brock Polhill (Jr.*) – Tops on the squad with three fall rounds in the 60s, including a pair of 67s
Michael Winslow (Fr.) – Went 1-2 making his collegiate debut at Wyoming Desert Match Play
Joe Bultman (R-Fr.) – Making first tournament appearance since COVID-shortened 2020 season...owns two career top-20 finishes
Max Wojciechowski (R-Fr.) – Made collegiate debut at Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 20-21, finished with final round 81
*=Reflects extra year of eligibility from COVID-19 season.
Head Coach Judd Easterling on….
… Brock Polhill's undefeated performance in California:
"I put Dawson and Brock in the back-end of our lineup just in case it came down to their matches. Brock played really well in every match. I don't think he was down very much at all, and just played the way we expected him to play."
… Max Wojciechowski's spot in the lineup:
"This is his time to shine. He's earned a spot. He's really played well, he's matured a lot in the last couple months. Now it's in his hands to go down there and play well and make us keep taking him the rest of the semester."
… Joe Bultman's recent play:
"He's done everything that he's needed to do. He's played really well the last three rounds, could not be playing better. Now can he take it to a tournament when you have the big pencil in your pocket and score matters? We're going to see."
