MSU Men's Golf Eyes Big Ten Championships
5/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 3, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State men's golf team travels to Urbana, Ill. this weekend (May 4-6) to compete in the 2001 Big Ten Championship, hosted by the University of Illinois. The Championship marks the last regular-season tournament of the spring for the Spartans. The tournament field includes all eleven Big Ten schools.
This year's Championship figures to weigh heavily on Michigan State's hopes of qualifying for postseason play. The Spartans enter the weekend having posted top-five finishes as a team in each of their last four tournaments.
"This is always one of our biggest tournaments of the year," said Michigan State head coach Mark Hankins. "Everyone in the Big Ten feels that way and all of the players and coaches enjoy the competition."
Senior co-captain Brent Goik (Bay City, Mich.) has provided the team with leadership and solid play. Goik has put together two consecutive top-five finishes and is ranked 11th in the Big Ten Player of the Year point standings entering the weekend. The Big Ten Golfer of the Week for April 25, Goik finished last weekend's Bruce Fossum/ TeamGearOnline.com Invitational hosted by MSU in fourth place after shooting a three-round score of 214 (72-71-71) at Forest Akers West.
The Spartans have also received solid play from sophomore John Koskinen (Baraga, Mich.). Koskinen has been a key contributor to the Spartan's success this spring. He carded a 215 (70-73-72), good for seventh place at the Fossum Invitational and is ranked 14th in the Big Ten Player of the Year points race.
The Big Ten Championship will be played at Stone Creek Golf Club (par 72, 7,118 yards), a resort-style golf course. Activities begin Friday morning (May 4) with an 18-hole practice round. Competition officially gets underway Friday afternoon with 18 holes of play. On Saturday (May 5), the Spartans will play 36 holes with the final 18 holes scheduled for Sunday (May 6).