The Badger men’s golf team traveled in-state this past weekend to Erin, Wisconsin to compete in the Marquette Intercollegiate. The tournament — hosted at Erin Hills — consisted of three rounds from Sunday through Tuesday.
The Badger’s five man lineup included freshmen Sebastian Iqbal and Coalter Smith, as well as juniors Sam Anderson, Griffin Barela and Nick Robinson. Sophomore Cameron Frazier also traveled with the team and competed as an individual. The team clashed against 11 other squads including Marquette, Georgia, UCLA and Big Ten rivals Northwestern and Purdue.
Men’s Golf: Badgers to defend home course in opening fall tournament
A challenging Erin Hills course did not seem to rattle Iqbal and Anderson as they both finished in the top 10 after the first 18 holes. The course is ranked within the top 50 courses in America but the team as a whole was able to take on the task on day one. The Badgers sat in a tie for sixth with four individuals in the top 25, including Frazier and Smith.
After round two on Monday, three Badgers were still in the top 20. Anderson fired an impressive even par round of 72 with Iqbal right on his heels with a one-over-par 73.
Men’s golf: Badgers finish in last place at Big Ten Championships
Barela was also in the mix as he bounced back with a three-over-par 75. Frazier continued to impress with an even par round of 72, making the most of his opportunity as an individual competitor. Unfortunately, as a team, the Badgers sunk down to a solo 11th place after the finish of the second round.
Smith and Anderson led round three, with each shooting a one-over-par 73. The final round put Anderson into a share of 19th place, the lowest scoring Badger in the field. The Badgers as a team dropped down to 12th spot for the tournament — a last place finish. Big Ten counterparts Purdue and Northwestern finished first and second, respectively.
Men’s Golf: Where to now? Last place finish forces reevaluation
The Badger Men’s Golf team struggled as a whole once again this past weekend, but there are still many bright spots to look forward to. The young Iqbal continues to play strong golf in his first semester as a collegiate athlete and the established Anderson is showing vast improvements from last year.
There is a lot of promise on this golf team, and if Barela can regain last year’s form, they will be a squad to look out for as the season progresses.
