Anderson chills opponents at season opener
September 08, 2019 | Men's Golf
Junior leads UW on first day of Badger Invitational
MADISON, WIS.- The Badger men's golf team kicked off its season, hosting the Badger Invitational Sunday at University Ridge Golf Course.Â
After the first 18 holes, the team is led by junior Sam Anderson, who battled the chilly weather and is tied for sixth place. He shot two-under par for the day, making birdies on holes 10, 14, 15 and 16.
When asked about shooting four under on the back nine and what was working for him, Anderson said "I just kept everything going and I didn't have any three putts. I made some better putts that led to birdies and just kind of stuck with the game plan that I had set up with coach going into this week."Â
Last year during the opening round of the Badger Invitational, Anderson shot a nine-over 81.
Head coach Michael Burcin is impressed with Anderson's improvement over the last year. "Sam isn't even close to the same player he was last year, in a good way. He's made huge strides through his whole game and had a good summer. He's just not even the same person, in a positive way, and we're super happy for him."
In second for the team was freshman Sebastian Iqbal, competing for the first time as a Badger. Sitting three-over-par 75 and tied for 45th, he had birdies on holes 2, 11, 13 and 14. The team, which has two freshmen in its lineup, is comprised of Anderson, Iqbal, junior Griffin Barela, junior Tom Calbi, and freshman Coalter Smith. Together they shot a plus-11 299 and are currently tied for 10th place.
The team shot a combined two over on the back nine, improving from plus-17 on the front nine.
When asked how he felt about today's rounds and what he hopes to get out of the team tomorrow, coach Burcin stated "I think we were a little bit nervous to start, which is understandable with two freshmen in the lineup and I know Griffin wants to have a big year so we're not really sad or frustrated. I expect them to come out and play good tomorrow."
Five other members are also competing as individuals. Of those five, sophomore Cameron Frazier leads with a plus-two 74 round, followed by senior Pete Kuhl with a plus three 75.
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| POS | TEAMS | SCORING | ROUNDS | TOTAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TO PAR | 1 | |||
| 1 | Notre Dame | -5 | 283 | 283 |
| 2 | Kansas | -2 | 286 | 286 |
| T3 | Rutgers | +1 | 289 | 289 |
| T3 | Illinois | +1 | 289 | 289 |
| 5 | Iowa State | +2 | 290 | 290 |
| T6 | Mississippi | +3 | 291 | 291 |
| T6 | Nevada | +3 | 291 | 291 |
| 8 | South Dakota State | +7 | 295 | 295 |
| 9 | UNCG | +10 | 298 | 298 |
| T10 | NIU | +11 | 299 | 299 |
| T10 | Wisconsin | +11 | 299 | 299 |
| T10 | Abilene Christian | +11 | 299 | 299 |
| T13 | Miami (OH) | +12 | 300 | 300 |
| T13 | Coastal Carolina | +12 | 300 | 300 |
| 15 | Wofford | +13 | 301 | 301 |
| 16 | Xavier | +23 | 311 | 311 |
Wisconsin
| POS | PLAYER | SCORING | ROUNDS | TOTAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TO PAR | 1 | |||
| T6 | Sam Anderson | -2 | 70 | 70 |
| T45 | Sebastian Iqbal | +3 | 75 | 75 |
| T55 | Griffin Barela | +4 | 76 | 76 |
| T76 | Coalter Smith | +6 | 78 | 78 |
| T84 | Tom Calbi | +8 | 80 | 80 |
Individuals
| POS | PLAYER | SCORING | ROUNDS | TOTAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TO PAR | 1 | |||
| T35 | Cameron Frazier | +2 | 74 | 74 |
| T45 | Pete Kuhl | +3 | 75 | 75 |
| T63 | Nick Robinson | +5 | 77 | 77 |
| T76 | Jack Blair | +6 | 78 | 78 |
| T94 | Robbie Morway | +15 | 87 | 87 |
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Players Mentioned
