After a great inaugural semester of competition, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame emerged to represent the Great Lakes Region at the Fall 2013 NCCGA National Championship. The tournament, to be held at the Barefoot Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., will feature 24 of the best club golf teams from across the country.
After a strong season, highlighted by a victory at the first Great Lakes Fall Regional, Purdue goes to Myrtle ranked #2 in the country. The Boilermakers are one of the deepest teams in the tournament, containing 3 of the top 4 players in the Great Lakes this season. As a team, Purdue is no stranger to NCCGA competition, after competing in the Central Region last semester, but this will be the team’s first trip to Nationals. President Scott Meschnig said of his team’s impressive performances leading up to Nationals:
“Our team has made a lot of progressive strides this season so far and is looking forward to the national tournament.”
Aaron Amick leads Purdue, after finishing the regular season with a Region-best scoring average of 73.67.
Notre Dame won the rain-shortened second Regional Tournament, and earned a wild card spot for Nationals. Notre Dame also previously competed in the Central, and the team is excited for this unique opportunity. When asked about this upcoming weekend, President Sean Flanagan stated:
“We're proud to represent Notre Dame at our first ever national championship in only our second year as a competing club. The team we are bringing to Myrtle Beach is talented and experienced, and we are excited to bring a great result back to South Bend.”
The Irish go into Myrtle led by G.W. Bourdon, who carries a scoring average of 76.67 into Nationals.
Wisconsin, who represented the Central Region at the Spring 2013 National Championship, looks to build on a solid fall season after also qualifying as a wild card. After a rough start to the season, the team rebounded nicely at the second Regional Tournament. The Badgers head to Myrtle led by sophomore Corey Sweeney, who finished 11th individually at the Spring National Championship. Senior Mike Kenning, junior Matt Frommelt, and sophomore Alex Schremp also competed for Wisconsin at Spring Nationals, and look to build on solid seasons. With only one senior (Kenning) on the team, the Badgers are excited to gain some valuable experience this weekend.
In addition to the 3 teams, Alec Sanderson and Matt Schopp (Illinois St.) will be competing as individuals. Schopp won the first regional after firing and impressive 2-under par 142. Sanderson also had an extremely impressive season, and both will look to continue their solid play at Barefoot.
Getting 3 teams into Nationals in our first semester of competition is a great accomplishment, but our teams are looking to make an impact on the national stage. All 3 teams have the potential to compete, which will make for an exciting weekend. We are looking to prove that we are one of the elite NCCGA Regions, and are excited about the future and growth of our teams.
