Monday, September 24
Erie, CO
7:15 AM
Gonzaga University
at
Mark Simpson Invitational - Day One
Men’s Golf Opens Season in Colorado Monday
9/23/2018 11:18:00 AM | Men's Golf
Zags at Mark Simpson Invitational in Erie, Colo.
LIVE SCORING
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Gonzaga men's golf team begins the 2018-19 season at the Mark Simpson Invitational hosted by the University of Colorado Monday.
The Zags' 10-man roster this season features seven underclassmen, including four freshmen. Tyler Munetake is the team's lone senior, while Chris Mogg and Nick Nolan return for their junior seasons. Head Coach Robert Gray returns for his 20th season at Gonzaga.
"We're excited to get the season going," Gray said. "We have four new individuals on the team and with the returning players having improved, the competition to travel is at its best in quite a while. Our fall season takes us to some familiar and new locations against some solid competition. We're excited to get to our first event at Colorado and get the season underway."
Gonzaga's fall slate includes four tournaments, beginning Monday in Erie, Colo. The three-round, 54-hole event takes place at the Colorado National Golf Club. The championship layout is a 7,676-yard, par-72 configuration, and the greens feature bent grass. CNGC has hosted previous U.S. Amateur qualifiers, Colorado PGA Section championships, the 2011 NCAA Colorado Men's Regional and the 2012 NCAA Women's West Regional.
This is the ninth annual edition of the event, and the hosts Colorado have won or shared the team title in each of the past five years. GU tied for 12th in the 2016 Mark Simpson Invitational, led by a 24th place finish by Ryan Gaske.
"While we've been to Colorado's event a number of times in the past, it's been a couple of years since we've been there," Gray said. "The course has some similarities with the courses we play locally, so that will help how the course looks to the eyes of the players. The course has a 'links' look to it and can vary drastically on difficulty based on the wind, as the course has no trees or hills to block the wind. If the wind picks up, ball flight control and short game will be even more important to get around the course well."
This year's tournament field includes Cal-Baptist, CSU-Fullerton, CSU-Northridge, Colorado, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Houston Baptist, Northern Colorado, Pacific, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, UC-Riverside, Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. There will also be 14 individual slots (four from CU and UCLA, three from Air Force, two from Colorado State and one from Utah) for an overall 84-man field. In the early Golfweek rankings (as of Sept. 16), Utah is No. 53, Grand Canyon No. 67, Colorado No. 70, Wyoming No. 83 and Northern Colorado No. 93; in the final 2017-18 GolfStat rankings, the highest in the field are Colorado (46), Wyoming (80) and Grand Canyon (92).
"Our lineup consists of two upperclassmen and three underclassmen," Gray said. "Nick was able to see the course a couple of years ago, but the others have not. Fortunately, the course is pretty straight forward so the others should get a really good feel during the practice round."
Gonzaga's lineup
1 Nick Nolan
2 Chris Mogg
3 Holden Backes
4 Charlie Magruder
5 Brentt Salas
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Gonzaga men's golf team begins the 2018-19 season at the Mark Simpson Invitational hosted by the University of Colorado Monday.
The Zags' 10-man roster this season features seven underclassmen, including four freshmen. Tyler Munetake is the team's lone senior, while Chris Mogg and Nick Nolan return for their junior seasons. Head Coach Robert Gray returns for his 20th season at Gonzaga.
"We're excited to get the season going," Gray said. "We have four new individuals on the team and with the returning players having improved, the competition to travel is at its best in quite a while. Our fall season takes us to some familiar and new locations against some solid competition. We're excited to get to our first event at Colorado and get the season underway."
Gonzaga's fall slate includes four tournaments, beginning Monday in Erie, Colo. The three-round, 54-hole event takes place at the Colorado National Golf Club. The championship layout is a 7,676-yard, par-72 configuration, and the greens feature bent grass. CNGC has hosted previous U.S. Amateur qualifiers, Colorado PGA Section championships, the 2011 NCAA Colorado Men's Regional and the 2012 NCAA Women's West Regional.
This is the ninth annual edition of the event, and the hosts Colorado have won or shared the team title in each of the past five years. GU tied for 12th in the 2016 Mark Simpson Invitational, led by a 24th place finish by Ryan Gaske.
"While we've been to Colorado's event a number of times in the past, it's been a couple of years since we've been there," Gray said. "The course has some similarities with the courses we play locally, so that will help how the course looks to the eyes of the players. The course has a 'links' look to it and can vary drastically on difficulty based on the wind, as the course has no trees or hills to block the wind. If the wind picks up, ball flight control and short game will be even more important to get around the course well."
This year's tournament field includes Cal-Baptist, CSU-Fullerton, CSU-Northridge, Colorado, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Houston Baptist, Northern Colorado, Pacific, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, UC-Riverside, Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. There will also be 14 individual slots (four from CU and UCLA, three from Air Force, two from Colorado State and one from Utah) for an overall 84-man field. In the early Golfweek rankings (as of Sept. 16), Utah is No. 53, Grand Canyon No. 67, Colorado No. 70, Wyoming No. 83 and Northern Colorado No. 93; in the final 2017-18 GolfStat rankings, the highest in the field are Colorado (46), Wyoming (80) and Grand Canyon (92).
"Our lineup consists of two upperclassmen and three underclassmen," Gray said. "Nick was able to see the course a couple of years ago, but the others have not. Fortunately, the course is pretty straight forward so the others should get a really good feel during the practice round."
Gonzaga's lineup
1 Nick Nolan
2 Chris Mogg
3 Holden Backes
4 Charlie Magruder
5 Brentt Salas
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
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