Men's Golf | September 29

MADISON, Wis. - The Northern Illinois University men's golf team was among the leaders at the Badger Invitational for the first two rounds and wound up finishing sixth on Tuesday afternoon at University Ridge.

"We played solid team golf through the first 45 holes of the tournament and put ourselves in position to win heading into today," said head coach John Carlson. "The finishing stretch was challenging with the winds picking up and we made a few costly bogeys coming in."

The Huskies were tied for fourth after Sunday's opening round, posting a team score of five-under par 283. Craig Long (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton), Beau Petersen (Gretna, Neb./Gretna) and Patrick Raupp (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect) all had rounds of two-under 70 on the day. On Monday NIU had a team score of 274 to enter today's final round at -9 and three strokes behind first place Southern Mississippi. Long posted a second consecutive round of 70 as Conner McCall (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) also had a round of 70. Petersen and Jack Mulligan (Burr Ridge, Ill./Hinsdale Central) rounded out the scoring group with rounds of even par 72.

Petersen and Long led the way in Tuesday's final round with both golfers posting rounds of 71. Long went under par in all three rounds this week, finishing tied for sixth with a 54-hole score of five-under par 211. He has gone under par in each of his last five rounds. Petersen was even par or lower in all three rounds on his way to his first career top-10 finish. The junior tied for 10th with a three-under par 213.

"Craig continued his elite level of play to start the season," Carlson said. "Beau drove the ball exceptionally well throughout the tournament, and his top-10 finish is a reflection of the work he has put in."

McCall was in the scoring group on Tuesday with a two-over par 74 and finished tied for 29th at +2. Raupp and McCall both finished in the top-50, tying for 46th place at +4. The Huskies finished with a team score of six-under par 858, two shots behind St. Thomas and three behind Western Kentucky and the hosts Wisconsin. Southern Miss won the tournament at -23.

"There are valuable lessons to take away from this week, and the experience of being in contention will help us continue to grow as a team," added Carlson. "Statistically we were in the top three in par-four and par five scoring as well as birdies. Most importantly, all five players contributed to another strong team performance at the Badger Invitational."

NIU also had three golfers in the Goat Hill Individual Championship at Pleasant View Golf Course on Sunday and Monday. Freshman Caden Petersen (Naperville, Ill./Benet) tied for eighth with a four-over par 214. Finley Gastrau (St. Gallen, Switzerland/Kantonsschule Am Burggrabbe) tied for 15th at eight-over par and Devin Swoyer (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) tied for 18th at +10.

The Huskies are next in action at the Purdue Fall Invitational Oct. 12-13.

—NIU—