WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Yellowjacket men's golf team, after shaking off a winter's worth of rust Friday at Lake Forest, were back in action Saturday, competing in the Morningstar Masters, an event hosted by Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Friday, the Yellowjackets shot a team score of 327 to place 12th at Lake Forest, and Saturday, they shaved a few strokes off the score, shooting 323 to place eighth at Morningstar Golfer's Club.
As was the case Friday, Aurora University out of Aurora, Ill. won the title, shooting a collective team score of seven-under par. The Spartans' score of 281 bettered runner-up Carthage by 17 strokes. Lake Forest, St. Norbert and Carroll rounded out the top five.
Aurora's Jack Vercautren and Scott Boyajian tied for medalist honors, each shooting a three-under 69 Saturday.
Leading the way for the Yellowjackets was
Andrew Rude (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior). The sophomore shot the low score for the Yellowjackets Saturday, carding a three-over 75. Rude was consistent throughout the day, shooting 37 on the front nine and 38 on the back. Rude birdied the first and 12th holes and was within striking distance of even par throughout the day, but he got derailed by a double bogey on the 14th hole. Rude ended up in 17th place Saturday.
Nate Burke (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld), who was the low shooter for the 'Jackets Friday, finished Saturday at nine-over 81, tying for 40th place.
Blu Anderson (Amery, Wis./Amery) finished tied for 54th place after carding an 11-over 83.
Conner Willard (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing) and
T.J. Sitek (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) were right behind Anderson, shooting identical 12-over 84s.
Meet Notes
- Burke was much stronger on the back nine than the front. After going seven over on the front, he was just two over on the back and birdied the 18th hole. He had a string of five straight pars on the back nine.
- Anderson didn't card a birdie Saturday, but did have three-hole and four-hole streaks where he made par.
- Willard had back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth holes and carded three birdies on the day.
- Sitek birdied the eighth and ninth holes to finish the front nine five over.
Next weekend the Yellowjackets will travel to Decorah, Iowa for the two-day Luther Spring Classic. Tee times begin at 10 a.m. at Oneota Golf and Country Club Saturday, April 20.
