Wisconsin Badgers
Musketeer Classic
Badgers golf for gold
October 22, 2019 | Men's Golf
Wisconsin takes first place at Musketeer Classic
Behind second-place finisher Sam Anderson and three players finishing in the top 12, the Badgers won the Classic on Tuesday with a 54-hole total 861, four strokes better than runner-up Northern Illinois.
The team played strong from the get-go, shooting their lowest score during the first round with a three-under-par 281. This was Wisconsin's best finish of the season by eight places and 10 strokes. Last time the team took first was at the Pinetree Intercollegiate on Oct. 23, 2018.
"I am so proud of these guys," head coach Michael Burcin said. "We had a lot of discussions after Erin Hills, and I could tell right away they were ready to move on."
Wisconsin recorded season lows for 18 holes, 36 holes and 54 holes, averaged a season-best 286.66 strokes, and had a season best finish, blowing away its previous best ninth-place finish at the Bearcat Invitational on Oct. 1.
A first-place finish for the team and a second-place finish for @Sam_Anderson19 make the trip to Cincinnati well worth it. Couldn't be more proud of these guys 👊🙌 pic.twitter.com/dYMAoJorYM
— Wisconsin Men's Golf (@BadgerMGolf) October 22, 2019
In addition to Anderson, freshman Coalter Smith took fifth with a 213 while senior Pete Kuhl was just one stroke back to tie for eighth as an individual. Junior Griffin Barela tied for 12th with a 216.
After the tournament, Burcin said "The entire team played well from Sam to Pete having a top-10 finish as an individual. The best part of coaching is watching your kids succeed and today was one of those special days!"
And succeed they did.
Anderson led the Badgers in the final round, pulling out a three-under-par 68 for the final round. His second-place finish marks a career best finish, beating the ninth place he took at this year's Badger Invitational. He also tied his career low 54-hole score.
"Our team definitely knew what we needed to work on after Erin Hills,"" said Anderson.
Badgers breaking records was a theme throughout the entire tournament. Smith set career low scores for 18-holes, 36-holes and 54-holes to record a career-best finish.
Freshman Jack Blair also had a career-best finish, tying for 50th, shooting a career-low 225 for 54 holes.
The team hopes to carry the momentum into their last tournament of the fall season on Nov. 1-3 at the White Sands Intercollegiate in the Bahamas.
"We are looking forward to getting some good work in the next week or so and are all super excited for some warm golf in a few weeks," added Anderson.
| Pos. | Team | To Par | Rd. 1 | Rd. 2 | Rd. 3 | Total |
| 1 | Wisconsin | +9 | 281 | 290 | 290 | 861 |
| 2 | Northern Illinois | +13 | 287 | 284 | 294 | 865 |
| T3 | Morehead State | +21 | 288 | 293 | 292 | 873 |
| T3 | Ball State | +21 | 278 | 296 | 299 | 873 |
| 5 | Butler | +22 | 286 | 296 | 292 | 874 |
| 6 | Oakland | +27 | 292 | 288 | 299 | 879 |
| 7 | Creighton | +31 | 295 | 284 | 304 | 883 |
| 8 | Eastern Kentucky | +32 | 290 | 297 | 297 | 884 |
| 9 | Northern Iowa | +41 | 295 | 299 | 299 | 893 |
| 10 | Northern Kentucky | +45 | 294 | 293 | 310 | 897 |
| 11 | Xavier | +47 | 302 | 296 | 301 | 899 |
| 12 | DePaul | +51 | 296 | 301 | 306 | 903 |
| 13 | IUPUI | +55 | 300 | 308 | 299 | 907 |
| Pos. | Player | To Par | Rd. 1 | Rd. 2 | Rd. 3 | Total |
| 2 | Sam Anderson | -3 | 70 | 72 | 68 | 210 |
| 5 | Coalter Smith | E | 68 | 71 | 74 | 213 |
| T8 | Pete Kuhl (Ind.) | +1 | 70 | 74 | 70 | 214 |
| T12 | Griffin Barela | +3 | 69 | 71 | 76 | 216 |
| T50 | Jack Blair | +12 | 74 | 76 | 75 | 225 |
| 69 | Sebastian Iqbal | +18 | 81 | 77 | 73 | 231 |
Players Mentioned
