Panther golf finishes third in spring season opener

HUNTER FRIESEN

After hibernating away for the winter, the UNI men’s golf team opened up their spring 2022 season with the Valparaiso Invite, which took place at the Dove Mountain Golf Club in sunny Tucson, Ariz. It was a two-day event with five total teams in the field, including conference rivals Bradley University.

Junior Thomas Storbeck led the Panthers on the first day with an individual score of 75, which was good enough to place him in seventh among all individuals.  Sophomore Griffin Parker was able to stay close behind with a score 79, followed by Tommy Doyle and Jack Reeves with 80. The group score total for the first round was 314, keeping them in third place with Valpo leading the pack with a 304.

Storbeck continued to lead the team with his second and third round scores of 75 and 81, respectively. He ended the tournament with a total score of 231, placing him seventh among all players. Parker was able to find his groove in the second round as he carded a 75, and got a final tournament score of 235. Reeves was able to post the best individual round of all Panthers as he scored a 74 on the final round, which brought his total score to 235 as well.

The Panthers ended the tournament with a combined team score of 938, which was beat by North Dakota State’s 906 and Valparaiso’s 913, respectively. The best individual score was by Caleb VanArragon of Valpo with a 211.

UNI will be able to stay on the warmer side of the country as they travel to Las Vegas for the South Dakota State Invite at the famed Boulder Creek Golf Course. That tournament will run from March 11-12.