Men's Golf | April 25

DeKALB, Ill. – After eleven tournaments and 32 rounds of golf in the 2024-25 season, the Northern Illinois University men's golf team opens play in the 2025 Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Championship on Sunday morning at Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio.
 
"It's a long golf course, over 7,400 yards and it's a demanding second shot golf course," said head coach John Carlson. "The fairways are pretty wide but the approach shots will be difficult with a lot of water bordering the greens. We'll have to be precise with our distance control this week."
 
The Huskies have been in the top three in each of the last four conference tournaments. In 2023 NIU went from sixth place to first in the second round and held the lead to win its first conference championship since the 1994 Mid-Continent Conference title. Last season NIU tied for third with Kent State at The Club at Chatham Hills.
 
NIU has won two tournaments this season, winning at Wisconsin's Badger Invitational in October and the Kishwaukee Collegiate at Kishwaukee Country Club on April 5. Senior Felix Krammer (Waakirchen, Germany/Arkansas State) was named MAC Men's Golfer of the Week after tying for second place at the Badger Invitational. He tied NIU's single-round scoring record with an eight-under par 64 in the opening round. Krammer leads the Huskies in scoring average this season at 72.219.
 
Right behind Krammer is senior Ben Sluzas (Lockport, Ill./Lockport) who is second on the team in scoring average at 72.344. Sluzas has finished in the top ten in each of the last three tournaments and four of the last five. He has played his last eight rounds at a combined 11-under par. Sluzas was under par in all three rounds at Iowa's Hawkeye Invitational April 13-14, taking third place with a 54-hole score of six-under par 210.
 
"Three weeks ago he switched putters and he's eliminated three-putts in each of those events, which has helped him with bogey avoidance," Carlson said. "He has driven the ball in rhythm in the fairway and that's really allowed him to attack the golf course. Ben's played the par-fives incredibly well over this stretch of three top-10s."
 
"Ben and Felix have been consistent for us every event this season. We have had to count on both of them to lead us in scoring. To be separated by four total shots this season shows that both of them are at an elite level and will be considered for First Team All-MAC honors after the MAC Championship."
 
NIU will also lean on the youth of this year's roster if it is to win another MAC title. Freshman Patrick Raupp (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect) is third on the team in scoring average at 74.207. He carded a season-low round of 67 at the Badger Invitational, finishing tied for 12^th with a 54-hole score of one-under par 215. Beau Petersen (Gretna, Neb./Gretna) was NIU's top finisher at the season-opening Island Resort Intercollegiate and finished tied for 13^th at both the Kishwaukee Collegiate and Hawkeye Invitational.
 
"We have switched the lineups up, given them all opportunities to be in the lineup. Everyone on our roster has played in at least seven tournaments this year.  They all have had a glimpse at what it takes to play difficult golf courses under the most pressure in various conditions. Craig Long and Patrick Raupp have shown the ability to shoot rounds under par. With Beau Petersen continuing to play well, I feel like we have the five guys that are playing their best golf of the year in our lineup."
 
The MAC Championship runs through Tuesday, April 29 with play beginning at 8 a.m. Ct each day.
 
-- NIU --