CHESTERTON, Ind. – The IUPUI men’s golf team will participate in the Valpo Fall Invitational this week as the Jaguars compete among the 17-team field at Sand Creek Country Club. The tournament is scheduled for 54 holes over the next two days with 36 holes slated for Monday (Sept. 19) and a final round on Tuesday (Sept. 20).
IUPUI and Head Coach Jamie Broce will get a second look at his team this fall as the Jaguars opened the schedule with an 11th place finish at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational. Led by junior Kevin TilleryIUPUI carded rounds of 304, 295 and 294 to finish the tournament at 893. IUPUI was in the cellar for much of the final round, but rallied late to surge ahead of four teams on the final day.
Tillery collected his first career top-10 finish at 6-over 216 (72-73-71) and Josh Yoder performed well at 11-over 221 (76-71-74). IUPUI’s top two players from last season, Taylor Gardner spirit Sam McWilliams, never found their footing in the season opener. Gardner had a final round of 72 for his best round of the tournament.
QUOTABLE: “I started off a little bumpy today and kind of had to grind it out on my front nine. I made a couple of poor swings that led to big numbers, but also threw a pair of birdies in there, so I knew I just had to pull myself together and start fresh on the front nine. I was able to make a few putts and play smart enough on the front to put together another solid round, so I’m pretty happy with where I ended up,” Tillery said of his first career top-10 finish at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational.
FORMAT: The tournament will be a 5-count-4 format with two rounds of continuous play on Monday (Sept. 19) and a final round on Tuesday (Sept. 20).
THE COURSE: Sand Creek has been named one of Golf Digest’s Top 10 courses in the state of Indiana and was named “Best in Golf” from Links Magazine and Audubon International at the 1996 US Open at Oakland Hills. In 2000, Sand Creek received the Golf Course Superintendent’s Association of America’s National Environmental Steward Award for US private golf courses. This week, the Creek-Marsh track is set to play par 72 and 7,082 yards.
THE FIELD: The 17-team field will include Bradley, Cleveland State, DePaul, Detroit Mercy, Evansville, Green Bay, Loyola, Missouri State, North Dakota, Northern Kentucky, Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris, Utah State, host Valparaiso, Western Illinois and Youngstown State.
RANKINGS: IUPUI closed last season ranked No. 260 nationally by Golfstat and No. 266 nationally by Golfweek.
LINEUP:
No. 1 – Taylor Gardner (75.33 average / 3 rounds)
No. 2 – Kevin Tillery (72.00 average / 3 rounds)
No. 3 – Colten Girgis (77.94 average / 18 career rounds)
No. 4 – Preston Nanthavong (79.00 average / 26 career rounds)
No. 5 – Sam McWilliams (78.33 average / 3 rounds)
India – Harry Ward (collegiate debut)
LAST TIME OUT: IUPUI finished 11th of 15 teams at 893 at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational, carding rounds of 304, 295 and 294. Tillery, a junior, collected his first career top-10 finish at 6-over 216 (72-73-71), tying for eighth among the 81-player field. Josh Yoder was next in line at 11-over 221 (76-71-74).
UP NEXT: IUPUI will compete in Drake’s Zach Johnson Invitational on Sept. 26-27 in Des Moines, Iowa.