College Corner: Men’s Teams from Across the State
University of Michigan:
With Will Anderson and Hunter Thomson serving as the core of coach Zach Barlow's University of Michigan men's golf team, the Wolverines look to continue their upward trend in the Big Ten and return to the NCAA postseason.
The Maize and Blue duo started all 12 events a year ago and combined to finish as the top Wolverine in 10 of those events (Thomson eight times, Anderson twice). Overall, Anderson has started 27 of his 28 career events, while Thomson has not missed an event in two seasons (23 straight). Thomson paced the Wolverines with his 72.81 scoring average, while Anderson was just behind at 73.59. In fact, the pair recorded 17 of U-M's 35 sub-par rounds, including Anderson's career-low 64 (-8) at the 2023 Lake Las Vegas Intercollegiate.
The depth behind Thomson and Anderson has continued to gain experience to help the Wolverines’ path forward. Jude Kim and Yuqi Liu each started nine events last season, while Ben Hoagland added eight. In fact, Hoagland had a career-year with his 74.96 average, over four and a half shots better than his prior best, while leading U-M at the Island Resort Intercollegiate with his first career top five finish (t-4th).
In addition to the developing depth, Barlow has brought in two newcomers with the duo of Jason Gordon and Caden Pinckes. The No. 1 junior golfer in Illinois and 2021 state champion, Gordon helped his Glenbrook North squad reach the Class 3A State Finals four straight years winning the 2021 team title. Prepping at Classical Academy in California, Pinckes was a two-time All-CIF second team selection and helped the Caiman to back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Division II championships.
“With a nice balance of seasoned veterans and some highly touted freshmen, we have the potential to be a very deep team,” Barlow said. “This helps create competition amongst ourselves, but when we compete as well. This group really wants to push each other to continue to get better and as a coach you can't ask for much more than that.”
Michigan State University:
The standard has been set for Michigan State men’s golf over the last 12 years by head coach Casey Lubahn.
Michigan State has won at least one tournament in 10 of 12 of Lubahn’s dozen years at the helm and finished among the top four in the Big Ten Conference in four of the last five years with a squad this year looking to break through to the top. MSU has also had representation at each of the last seven NCAA Tournaments and will enter the 2023-24 season looking to reach the NCAA Regionals for the 7th time in the last eight years.
Graduate student Drew Hackett, who transferred from UNC Wilmington last year, stepped in and was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection, while also earning NCAA All-Midwest region honors. He led the team in scoring average (71.86) and had a team-best six top-20 finishes.
A pair of MSU veterans are also back in the lineup in senior August Meekhof and graduate student Bradley Smithson. The Spartans also welcome back junior Ashton McCulloch, who was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2021. McCulloch, who won the Canadian Amateur over the summer and played in the U.S. Amateur, was second on the team with a 72.46 scoring average.
Meekhof, who was an All-Big Second Team pick as a sophomore and earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Championship team, was third on the MSU team last year with a 72.57 scoring average and won his first collegiate event with an 11-under par. This summer he won his second-straight Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Championship and also snatched the historic Michigan Amateur title.
Smithson, the most experienced player on the team with 115 collegiate rounds, returns for his fifth year at State. He was fifth on the team in scoring average (72.57). Graduate student Pierce Morrissey and junior Satchel Pierce are also back.
A pair of freshman, Lucas Acevedo of South Carolina, and Lorenzo Pinili will challenge the returning players. Pinili, the No. 2 junior in the state of Michigan and a finalist for the USA Today Boys Golfer of the Year, played at Brother Rice and was the Detroit Free Press Boys Golfer of the Year in 2022 and ‘23. He just returned from playing in the U.S. Amateur.
Central Michigan University:
It’s Year 2 for the Central Michigan men’s golf program, and, as one might expect, expectations are ratcheted up.
The Chippewas posted a relatively strong sixth-place finish as rookies in the 2022-23 Mid-American Conference Championship in April. That they finished ahead of three established programs in their first year of varsity golf since 1985 is a testament to the accelerated growth of a young team that faced a rugged schedule and pitted it against some of the nation’s best.
The CMU roster comprised seven freshman and a junior college transfer a year ago. Among them was Caledonia native Arie Jackman, who in August qualified for the U.S. Amateur after leading the Chippewas with a 75.38 scoring average a year ago.
Jackman, now a senior, headlines a group that includes sophomores Philippe Yturralde and Jeffrey Andrus (Royal Oak), who ranked second and fourth a year ago in scoring average. Yturralde finished tied for second in July in the Southern California Golf Association Amateur, one of the most competitive amateur tournaments in the nation. Andrus tied for 10th last spring in the MAC Championship. He was one of three freshmen to place in the top 10.
Eastern Michigan University:
Get ready for an exhilarating 2023-24 season, as the Eastern Michigan University men's golf team tees off with heightened anticipation. With the impending opening of the GameAbove Performance Center at Eagle Crest later this year, it has the Eagles buzzing with excitement.
The season takes flight at the River Run Collegiate hosted by Davidson University, Sept. 11-12, marking the first step in an impressive national journey that includes tournaments at formidable foes like Wisconsin, Purdue, and Georgetown.
The team is a blend of continuity and fresh energy, boasting a complete return of the last squad alongside standout additions of freshman Avery Mahoney and transfer Zander Gibson. Co-captains Cam Kellett and Patrick Deardorff, who showcased their prowess in competitive amateur golf this summer, are primed for stellar performances, aiming to secure coveted All-Mid-American Conference honors.
Grand Valley State:
Coming off their most successful season in program history, in which they won 10 tournaments, the Laker men will look a bit different this year, as head coach Gary Bissell stepped down to take the job at the University of Denver. Assistant coach Steve Milewski has been named the interim head coach.
There is still plenty of talent returning for last season’s GLIAC and Midwest Region Champions, led by PING Second-Team All-American Nick Krueger and All-Region honoree Drew Coble, who were both First-Team All-GLIAC. Also returning are Charlie Cooley and Bryce Wheeler, who both were named Second-Team All-GLIAC. The Lakers also add two incoming players to their roster, gaining 2023 GAC Freshman of the Year Manuel Cue Vargas via transfer and freshmen Winston Lerch (of Brighton).
Ferris State:
Last year, FSU’s Caleb Bond (Williamston) was chosen as the GLIAC Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year and claimed All-GLIAC First Team honors. Bond, who returns this year, compiled a total of six top-10 tournament finishes during his rookie season, including earning medalist honors once. He also placed among the top 20 golfers in 10 of his 12 tournaments overall.
In addition to Bond, the Bulldogs also welcome back two other All-GLIAC standouts in Zach Koerner (Laingsburg) and Adam Arif Madzri (Selangor, Malaysia). Madzri paced the Bulldogs in stroke play action at the GLIAC Championships, shooting a two-round 139 figure to place sixth individually. Koerner also had a strong performance at the league event, coming in tied for 26th overall for the Bulldogs with a two-round 145 total.
Last year’s trip to the GLIAC Semifinals for the men represented the fourth consecutive time in which FSU has reached the medal match play semifinals under the league format.
Wayne State University:
The Wayne State University women's golf program is coming off the most successful season in program history thanks to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championships.
The Warriors will be guided by third-year head coach Larry Hamilton. Team-wise, five of the seven members from that team are back, including Beca Vestman. Last season, Vestman became the first women's golfer in school history to earn WGCA All-Region honors and paced the squad in scoring average with a 76.6. Also back is GLIAC defending individual champion, Maisarah Hezri, now just a sophomore.
