Experienced rosters look to steer Tigers to new heights in 2020-21

MITCHELL, S.D. – With 17 golfers returning to the rosters that saw tournament experience last season, the Dakota Wesleyan University men's and women's golf programs will lean on experience and look to turn the corner in the upcoming season.

 Golf is the only fall sport playing this year that had last season cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Tigers played their entire fall schedule but were unable to begin their spring schedule before the season was called off. The inability to play has the Tiger golfers itching for competition for the first time since September of 2019.

 "Getting together for our first team meeting in person was amazing," Director of Golf Tom Hoek said. "There is such a positive energy in this group to be meeting in person in comparison to our zoom calls over the summer. To finally have the season begin has been exciting for the fact that we were unsure if there was going to be a season at all for so long. The season is here, our players and students are here, now it's time to move forward and take advantage of the opportunities!"

 For many of the men's golfers that are returning, it will be their final season to strive for new heights as they boast five seniors. Those seniors include Cade Carpenter (Mitchell, S.D.), Tony Hayes (Sioux Falls, S.D.), Nate Hohn (Parkston, S.D.), Jamie McGowan Jr. (White River, S.D.) and Wyatt Voelker (Newcastle, Wyo.).

 Hayes will be one of the senior leaders after being named to the All-GPAC Team last season following a breakout year. His best finish of the year came at the Jamestown Invitational where he took eighth place. Carpenter will look to join Hayes on the all-conference team in his final year after an impressive junior season. He tallied a stroke average of 76.2 and recorded his best finish of third place at the Siouxland Invitational.

 Another upperclassman that Hoek mentioned he will rely on for leadership is Bennett Lundy (Aberdeen, S.D.). He participated in seven tournaments last season and tied for 18^th at the Great Plains Athletic Conference Fall Qualifier.

 Despite only having one senior in Brooke Ehlers (Worthing, S.D.), the women's golf team possesses six juniors in Jayden Bormann (Parkston, S.D.), Jordan Glanzer (Howard, S.D.), Kaitlyn Greenhoff (Dell Rapids, S.D.), Megan Hinker (Lennox, S.D.), Ronae Klein (Winner, S.D.) and Ashley Zimmer (Mitchell, S.D.).

 Hinker led the team last year as she was one of two women golfers named to the All-GPAC Team. She placed third at the Buena Vista Invite and tied for 11^th at the GPAC Fall Qualifiers. Bormann was the other women's golfer who was tabbed to the All-GPAC Team. She tied with Hinker for 11^th place at the GPAC Fall Qualifiers.

 "I look forward to seeing a higher level of maturity and self-discipline on the course with our course management skills," Hoek commented. "In the past couple years, we have had little collegiate experience because of our youth, but now it's time to take the next step. I have been extremely happy with where we have come, but it's still not where we want to be. We missed an entire spring season after being sent home last year, so I'm hoping we can take advantage of being able to play this fall right away."

 Although there is a surplus of experience with upperclassmen, there are a handful of newcomers that Hoek will turn to in the early moments of the season. Those individuals include Jack Brinkman (Jackson, Minn.), Carson Van Beek (Sioux Falls, S.D.), Caden Jost (Hartford, S.D.) and Becky Koepke (Sioux Falls, S.D.).

 Brinkman was a six-year starter in high school and placed third in the conference during his eighth-grade year. He averaged a stroke of 76.8, won the section championship and won the sportsmanship and leadership awards during his junior year. Van Beek averaged a 79 during his senior campaign on his way to guide Sioux Falls Christian to a state championship. Jost recorded the lowest average on his team three years in a row, while placing third at regions in 2018.

 Koepke is the lone newcomer for the women's side, but Hoek said he looks for her game to improve as her season progresses. She notched a career best sixth-place finish at the Elmwood Course with a score of 81. Although not being a newcomer, Erin Moncur (Miller, S.D.) is another individual Hoek said he thinks will be a contributor. Her best outing of 2019 came at the CSM Fall Classic after shooting a 91, tying for 23^rd place.

 Without a spring season last year, the Tigers are eager to return to the course and compete again. DWU has a unique opportunity to play this fall while multiple teams across the nation don't have the same possibility.

 "We talk often about responsibility vs accountability. Being responsible as individuals holds us accountable for the program," Hoek said of his golf teams. "Golf is a unique sport and we have the privilege to be able to return to play right away, with limited protocols in comparison to some sports. There are plenty of programs across the nation right now who don't have that privilege. It's time to take advantage of a positive opportunity!"

 One of the unique opportunities is the ability to compete at a new course this season. Both the men's and women's teams will travel to Oklahoma City, Okla., to play in the OKC Invitational at the Gaillardia Country Club on Sunday, Sept. 13. The fall season will conclude for the men's team at the GPAC Championships on Sept. 28 in Elkhorn, Neb., while the women's season ends in the same fashion on Oct. 5 in Dakota Dunes, S.D.