St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus men’s golf team is set to begin its 2014 season on Wednesday, Aug. 2 with a dual against Minnesota State University, Mankato being held at the Le Sueur Country Club in Le Sueur, Minnesota.
The biggest concern for the men’s golf team heading into the 2014 fall season is how it will replace a senior class that featured Tyler McMorrow (St. Cloud, Minn.) and Andrew Oakes (Hermantown, Minn.) – two players who played in every round of every meet over their four-year careers representing the Three Crowns. Along with McMorrow and Oakes, Gustavus also graduated Matt Jensen (Edina, Minn.) and Lee Bystrom (Buffalo, Minn.), which made up the squad’s top four golfers from the 2013-14 season.
Such turnover allows for a lineup that is wide open in 2014, which is something coach Moe is looking forward to. “The competition has been good with all 13 players on the roster battling for a spot in the top of our lineup,” commented Moe. “You have to go out an earn your scores and this group knew that heading into the year. Whether you’re a rookie or a senior, proving yourself in practice and in competition will certainly be a common theme throughout this fall.”
Following a week’s worth of training camp and qualifying, Moe will go with a lineup that includes senior Danny Cameron (Bloomington, Minn.), juniors Andrew Brandt (Medina, Minn.), Marcus Holmberg (Jr., Marshall, Minn.), and Sam Peterson (Jr., Benson, Minn.), and freshmen Chris Captain (Rochester, Minn.) and Matt Rastetter (Maple Grove, Minn.) against the Mavericks.
Andrew Brandt has the most experience of the group, playing in all 23 rounds and finishing the 2013-14 season with a stroke average of 80 (+8). Danny Cameron played in 10 rounds last season and ended up with an 85.6 (+15) average. Matt Spier rounds out the returning upperclassmen as a transfer from Concordia University, St. Paul where he earned All-NSIC honors as a frosh in 2013.
The Gusties head into Wednesday looking for a repeat performance of last year’s 284-294 dual win over MSU, Mankato also held at the Le Sueur Country Club.
Following their mid-week outing, the Gusties will head into tournament play this weekend when they compete in the Augsburg College Invitational on Sept. 6-7. Both rounds of the two-day meet will be held at Majestic Oaks Golf Club on Sept. 6-7.