Wisconsin’s lineup featured senior Jacob Beckman, senior Spencer Turtz, redshirt freshman Jason Shwartz, sophomore Charlie Erlandson, sophomore Drew Sacia and individual freshman Vijay Kumar. Shwartz recently finished 9-under at the The Puerto Rico Classic, leading the team with a 14th-place finish in his first tournament start since 2024. This strong individual performance, combined with consistent scoring from team leaders Beckman, Erlandson and Turtz, could set the stage for a successful week down south.
This week’s course, Forest Heights Country Club, presented a seemingly manageable layout, playing at 7,100 yards with a course rating of 73.3. But its scoring opportunities created a highly competitive field.
The Badgers opened the first round with a steady start. Beckman came out of the gate swinging, carding a three-under front nine, placing him in second place at the turn. Turtz followed closely behind as he finished the front one-under (35), though his red number was short-lived as he began the back.
Erlandson, who has proven to be a key contributor for the Badgers this year, rebounded from a rough five-over (41) front nine with an impressive three-under (33) on the back, characterized by two back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12, followed by another on 18.
“Shooting 2 over instead of 5 mentally kept me in the tournament better,” Erlandson said. “There definitely was a lot of momentum that back nine gave me.”
Beckman remained steady throughout the round, remaining at three-under (69) despite dropping 10 spots on the leaderboard. Shwartz also posted a solid opening round, shooting one-over (73).
Despite several encouraging rounds, the Badgers ended the day at two-over as a team, which placed them toward the middle of the pack.
But Wisconsin had an impressive comeback the next day, shooting seven strokes better with a five-under team score and 20 birdies as a group.
Shwartz posted the team’s best round of the day with a three-under (69). He opened with seven pars in a row before finishing the front nine with back-to-back birdies. His momentum carried into the back nine, where he continued to convert key putts to stay under par.
When asked about his recent and ongoing success, Shwartz credited his health, saying, “Now that my body feels good and is working again (for the most part), I feel more free and able to do what I want to do.”
Beckman was also able to find a groove in the second round, carding a 2-under (70), which improved his score to five under as he remained inside the top 15. Erlandson, Turtz and Sacia followed closely behind their leaders, all shooting even par, and thereby jumping up the individual leaderboard as well. Wisconsin remained in eighth place, as all eyes were on the final round to determine success this week.
Erlandson stepped up to the plate during the final round and fired a bogey-free four-under (68), one of the lowest rounds of the tournament. After battling through earlier struggles in the week, he credited his mindset for helping him stay composed.
“It’s important to remember that it’s all temporary,” Erlandson said. “Remembering that we are all playing a game and focusing on the next shot helps a lot.”
But he wasn’t the only standout Badger during the final round. Despite beginning his round with a bogey, Turtz responded with birdies on holes 4, 5, 6 and 7 to quickly move back to under par. Turtz carried that momentum through the remainder of the round, finishing with a four-under (68). Both he and Erlandson ended the tournament at two-under overall, leading the Badgers in scoring for the week.
Beckman, despite a solid first couple days, struggled during his last round. A series of bogeys down the stretch, including a double bogey on the par-3 15th, pushed him out of contention, though his score did not factor into the team total.
Focus then turned to Shwartz and Sacia, whose scores were the final ones to count for the Badgers. Shwartz faced an early challenge after opening with a double bogey on the first and finished at four-over par (76), dropping 16 spots individually. Sacia followed with a three-over (75) to close out the team’s scoring for the day.
Regardless of the higher scores this round, Wisconsin held its position on the team leaderboard and finished in eighth place out of 15 teams, reflecting the tougher Sunday setup that challenged much of the field.
The final results are as follows:
T17 – Charlie Erlandson and Spencer Turtz
29 – Jacob Beckman
38 – Jason Shwartz
59 – Vijay Kumar
66 – Drew Sacia
8 – Wisconsin
While the final result was not perfect this week, the Badgers leave Statesboro with positives to build on. The team demonstrated resilience this weekend, showing that multiple players are capable of stepping up when needed. With a roster full of determined competitors, Wisconsin has the potential to contend as the spring season continues.
“None of us had our best stuff this week, and we were still competing and shooting solid numbers,” Shwartz said. “Once we start to figure it out mentally and physically, our finishes will get better, and I’m super excited about that.”
The Badgers now focus on their next tournament, the “Pay it Forward” Collegiate at Wigwam Golf Club in Peoria, AZ. They will get another chance at shooting low scores and improving their ranking, while also getting a chance to play for something bigger than themselves.
