University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Gear Up for April
3/30/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
As the calendar turns to April, Golden Gopher golf sets its sights on the Big Ten Championships. The Gophers will play in the Princeton Invitational and Hawkeye Invitational before the conference championship at Baltimore Country Club.
"We still want to build off the momentum that we had, especially in Round 2 at the Floridian," head coach John Carlson said. "We were playing against the best teams in the country, and we were one of the top three scores that day."
Junior Riley Johnson was a major reason for the Gophers' momentum in their most recent tournament. He tied for 12th, his best career 54-hole finish, and had a team-best, 1-under 70 in the second round.
"We were conservative off the tee," Johnson said. "I hit a lot of 3-woods off the tee, especially on downwind holes. That kept me out of bunkers and tough spots. That way I hit a lot of fairways and that kind of frees you up. Once you get up on that tee and know you're going to hit the fairway, you can dial in your irons and get close and make putts."
Johnson's score of 215 at the Valspar Intercollegiate was the second best of his career. He hopes to keep the trend going into the next month.
"Basically, it's just having a lot of confidence, going in in complete control of your game," he said. "It feels really good. I was this way last year, too. You just feel comfortable being out there. I strive to do that every single tournament. Sometimes it doesn't work, but now it's working."
The Gophers have been playing a significant amount of golf outdoors on training trips, spring break and regular tournament travel. Now that spring is arriving in Minnesota, they have been able to hit off grass even more.
"For me, I want to really work on my putting," senior Justin Doeden said. To get outside and work on the putting green is huge. Also, to see the ball fly outside is very important."
Doeden is the Gophers' scoring leader with an average of 71.42 and five top-20 finishes over the season. Still, he said the mindset changes at this time of the year.
"I think nerves start to creep in a little bit but, at the same time, I'm pretty confident with where my golf game is right now," Doeden. "I'm accepting the challenge. I know our rank isn't where we want it right now but that's something we talk about a lot."
Minnesota is working toward a strong finish to the season for a shot at NCAA Regional play. The Gophers have had strong competition in qualifying during the year, and would like to see players outdo each other in tournament play as well.
"If I'm shooting 72 and they're not taking my score, I love seeing that," Johnson said.
The Gophers' immediate focus is on the Princeton Invitational. Doeden's putting practice should come in handy, as he believes the next tournament will be won on the greens. If Minnesota performs well in its first April tournament, take that a sign of good things to come.
"Princeton's golf course is very similar to what we see here in Minnesota," Carlson said. "Iowa's very similar, and Baltimore is, also. They're tree-lined, old-style golf courses. I think the April schedule sets up great for us."
Players Mentioned
