Thursday, May 18, 2017

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Western Washington will make its ninth NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Championships appearance in program history on Monday when the Vikings tee off at the Reunion Resort.

The tournament features 20 teams and eight individuals competing concurrently for the individual national title and a spot in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The 108 total athletes will compete in stroke play on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, playing 54 holes with the top finisher being named the individual champion. The top eight teams after 54 holes will be seeded and play the quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday followed by the championship duel on Friday.

The Vikings earned their spot in the national tournament by finishing in a tie for third place at the West/South Central Super Regional in Stockton, California. It is the Vikings first trip back to the national championships since 2013 when they reached the semifinals by upsetting No. 1 seed Florida Southern in the quarterfinals.

The lineup for Western Washington in the tournament will not be set by GNAC Coach of the Year Luke Bennett until Sunday. Senior Brett Johnson led Western Washington in the super regional, finishing in a tie for seventh place with a score of 10-under-par 206. It was his fourth top-10 finish of the season in 11 events. He shot his best round on the second day, recording a 5-under-par 67.

Fellow seniors Chris Hatch and Jeffrey Marcum have also been key figures for the Vikings throughout the season. Marcum has a team-best six top-10 finishes and had a strong start at the super regional, finishing the first two rounds at 2-under-par 142. Hatch led the Vikings in their run to the GNAC title, taking second place in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with a score of 3-under-par 210.

Cody Roth and Michael Butler were the other two Vikings in the super regional, posting strong results. Butler finished in a tie for 31st place at 2-under-par 214, including a low round of 5-under-par 67. Roth shot a 2-over-par 74 in the final round to help the Vikings edge Cal State Monterey Bay by a single stroke.

The Vikings will tee off on Monday at 7:30 a.m. (Eastern), beginning on the first hole. On Tuesday, WWU will start on hole 10 at noon. For Wednesday’s action, the teams will be reseeded and the tee times will be determined based on the seeding. The Vikings will be paired with Arkansas Tech and Florida Tech for the first two rounds.