Spartan Men's Golf Prepares for Big Ten Championship
4/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
EAST LANSING, Michigan - Michigan State men's golf heads to the Hoosier State for the 2015 Big Ten Golf Championship in Newburgh, Indiana. The Spartans are set to begin play at Victoria National Club on Friday, April 24 at 8:40 a.m. ET with 36 holes. The third round on Saturday, April 25 will begin at 10 a.m. ET, while the final round on Sunday, April 26 will start at 9 a.m. ET.
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This is the fifth-straight year the championship has been held in Indiana after three seasons at the French Lick Resort and a season in West Lafayette. Minnesota won the title last season by two strokes over Illinois.
Victoria National Golf Club is a Tom Fazio course that opened in July 1998. It will play at 7,242 yards and a par of 72.
Three Big Ten teams are ranked among the top 50 of the latest Golfstat national rankings: Illinois (No. 4), Iowa (No. 45) and Michigan (No. 50). Michigan State is currently ranked No. 89, earning the No. 9 seed in this year's tournament.
"It has been a trying year from the standpoint of we have been close and have been knocking on the door. The guys have done a lot of things very, very, well, and we haven't putted the ball as well as we need to be competitive. It is very similar to free throw shooting in basketball, until you see the ball go in its hard to gain confidence," MSU head coach Casey Lubahn said. "We have been working really hard the last couple days, as we have been the last month to refine all those things we can control, and put ourselves in a better mental state. We have to be process oriented and not result focused."
Michigan State is led by sophomore Sam Weatherhead and junior Mitch Rutledge. Sophomores Gareth Lappin, Charlie Netzel and senior Jon Finley round out the Spartan lineup. Weatherhead has been the top MSU finisher in four tournaments this season, including tying for first at the Colleton River Collegiate.
"We have had four guys who have started every event. They have been incredibly close in that they have all played No. 1 and they have all played No. 4., across the spectrum. Those four guys are obviously very key that we get a week out of each of them. Our fifth guy, Jon Finley, has been almost as good as all of them. We are a unique lineup in that no one has been elite, but no one has been out of the picture. We have been really solid 1-5. Sam (Weatherhead) and Mitch (Rutledge) have to have their best week if we are going to be successful," Lubahn added.
Rutledge will be playing in his third Big Ten Championship, finishing tied for seventh last season with an 11-over 299 (76-72-75-76). Lappin and Netzel are playing in their second Big Ten Championships, while this is the first for Weatherhead and Finley.
"The last couple days have been fantastic. Even though we didn't play as well as we would have liked the last few weeks, we have done everything to a degree very well. If that continues and we make a few putts, we will have a good weekend," Lubahn said.
Last season, the Spartans finished seventh at the 2014 Big Ten Championship. MSU shot an 11-over par 299 on the final day at the French Lick Resort's Pete Dye Course, to finished the weekend at 60-over par 1212 (303-307-303-299)
Michigan State has won four Big Ten titles in its history (1969, 2005, 2007, 2008) and has one medalist finish (Eric Jorgensen in 2002).
The Big Ten Network will provide tape-delayed coverage of the Big Ten Championships on Wednesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. ET.
Big Ten Men's Golf Seeding (Golfstat Ranking)
1. Illinois (4)
2. Iowa (45)
3. Michigan (50)
4. Ohio State (54)
5. Purdue (59)
6. Northwestern (72)
7. Penn State (76)
8. Maryland (77)
9. Michigan State (89)
10. Minnesota (100)
11. Wisconsin (129)
12. Indiana (164)
13. Nebraska (173)
14. Rutgers (206)
Players Mentioned
