University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Seek Another B1G Title
4/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
April 23, 2015
LINKS: B1G Tee Times | Live Scoring | Minnesota Stats | Mendez Article | Johnson Article | Mendez Interview
The 2014 Big Ten men's golf champion Golden Gophers will play in the conference tournament April 24-26. Missing two key seniors from last year but led by 2014 co-medalist Jose Mendez and Big Ten Coach of the Year John Carlson, Minnesota will hunt for another title at a different course.
The 72-hole tournament will begin with two rounds Friday, April 24 at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Ind. One round will take place each of the next two days.
BTN will provide tape-delayed coverage of the Big Ten Men's Golf Championships on Wednesday, May 13 at 6 p.m. CT.
The travel squad: Mendez and junior Jon DuToit, who has tied for eighth and 12th in his first two years, will lead the Minnesota lineup at the conference tournament. A trio of freshmen will take the next three spots in the lineup: Riley Johnson, Rúnar Arnórsson, Charlie Duensing. The three became regulars in Minnesota's lineup during the spring.
The field: The Gophers are the No. 10 seed entering the conference championship. They are 6-12 against Big Ten opponents so far this season. They have faced Iowa (0-4), Michigan (1-3), Michigan State (1-3), Nebraska (3-0), Northwestern (0-2), Ohio State (0-1), Purdue (0-2) and Wisconsin (1-0). Complete seeding:
1. Illinois
2. Iowa
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Purdue
6. Northwestern
7. Penn State
8. Maryland
9. Michigan State
10. Minnesota
11. Wisconsin
12. Indiana
13. Nebraska
14. Rutgers
The course: Victoria National Golf Club is a Tom Fazio course opened in July 1998. It will play at 7,124 yards and a par of 72. The course serves as host for the Web.com Tour's United Leasing Championship.
Notes: *Mendez's current season stroke average of 71.42 is on pace to be the third-best in program history, ahead of his freshman year average of 71.97. He is coming off of his best finish of the spring, a 7-under, third-place showing at the Hawkeye-GRE Invitational.
*Last year's title was the Gophers' first since 2007 and ended Illinois' five-year string of championships. Mendez was Minnesota's first Big Ten medalist since 2003.
2014 Gophers Results at the Big Ten Championship - Pete Dye Course - Par 72
1. TEAM 295-300-301-290--1186 (+34)
T1. Jose Mendez (Fr.) 69-74-73-73--289 (+1)
T3. Jon Trasamar (Sr.) 74-76-74-70--294 (+6)
T12. Jon DuToit (So.) 75-75-76-74--300 (+12)
T20. Alex Gaugert (Sr.) 77-75-78-73--303 (+15)
60. Tyler Lowenstein (Jr.) 78-79-91-75--323 (+35)
Players Mentioned
