Season underway for MVNU golf teams
The golf season has been underway since the beginning of September. The men’s team is composed of twelve golfers, three of which are seniors. The women’s team has a total of seven golfers, however, there are no seniors on the roster. Both teams will both be competing in six tournaments and finishing their season at the end of October.
Head Coach Mike King is entering his 6th season with the Cougars and recognizes the high level of competition in the Crossroads League. “Both teams are working hard on improving each and every tournament. In golf, we teach them to take it one shot at a time and not to dwell on the previous shot.” Coach King says that by moving forward with a positive mindset, the teams will “continue to progress and improve every day.”
The men’s team has already competed in two tournaments in early September, the Ohio Dominican University Kickoff Classic and The Players Club Invitational. At the ODU Kickoff Classic, the men’s team finished tenth, led by senior Nick Harmon. Harmon shot a team best of seventy-seven in the first round and a seventy-nine in the second round.
At the Players Club in Yorktown, Indiana, the men’s team finished in eighth place. Adam Grate, a senior from Berlin, Ohio, completed the tournament shooting a seventy-two in the second round. The Cougars were able to hang onto the eighth-place position by edging out Indiana Tech by a total of one shot. The team is hoping that they will continue to progress as individuals and as a team. The team’s next tournament is on September 23rd. They will be competing in the Spring Arbor University Bill Bockwitz Classic at The Grande Golf Club in Jackson, Michigan.
The women’s team have also competed in two tournaments, the first of which was the Battle at Brookwood in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The team finished in fifth place and was led by sophomores Peyton Broce and Emily Wilson, who tied for eleventh place overall. Broce and Wilson shot a total of one-hundred and fifty-six in two rounds during the weekend.
The team also finished in fifth place at The Players Club Invitational. Peyton Broce once again played very well and finished in eighth place. Broce shot a team best of seventy-eight and seventy-nine in the first and second rounds. The women’s team is looking to continue their strong season debut as they join the men’s team at the SAU Bill Bockwitz Classic.
Senior Austin Baker is optimistic about his team’s performance after the conclusion of the first two tournaments. “Our team score at tournaments keeps on dropping lower and lower,” said Baker. “It is very exciting to see how we do as everyone gets more comfortable in tournament settings… For me, the season is not going exactly the way I have wanted it to but there is a lot of season left,” said Baker. “My goals for this season are to shoot a 75 in a tournament setting and continue to get better while building strong friendships with my teammates.”
The golf teams practice at the Chapel Hill Golf Course in Mount Vernon and will host the Mount Vernon Nazarene Fall Invitational on October 5th. Baker is very pleased with the location of their home course. “Playing at a super nice course is awesome and makes you feel like a Division 1 golfer.”
Photo: Senior Adam Grate, from mvnucougars.com.