Friday, August 23, 2019

NORMAN, Okla. – Coming off a season where it won its third GNAC title in four years, Western Washington’s men’s golf program enters the 2019-20 season in the top-10 of the preseason Bushnell Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll, released on Friday by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

One of two West Region teams to make the top-10, the Vikings will open the year with a No. 9 national ranking. The team finished 2018-19 with a No. 4 ranking in the final regular season poll released on May 3.

Simon Fraser, which finished last year with a No. 19 national ranking, was third among teams that also received votes.

Western Washington’s victory by 15 strokes at the GNAC Championships was the capstone in a stellar season. The Vikings won six of the team’s 11 tournaments last year, including the first three of the fall season. Qualifying for the NCAA Division II regionals for the 21st consecutive year, the Vikings ended the season with a 16th place finish at the NCAA West/South Central Regional.

Of the top-six golfers in the GNAC in terms of stroke average, five were Western Washington players. Jordan Lee returns for his sophomore season after leading the conference with a 72.3 stroke average and a second-place finish at the GNAC Championships. Lee was named both the GNAC Player and Freshman of the Year as well as a Freshman All-American by the GCAA. All six Vikings who competed during the season were named First Team All-GNAC.

Also among Western Washington’s returners is senior Ethan Casto, who finished ranked sixth in the GNAC with a 73.5 stroke average, and defending GNAC Championships medalist Brody Bonfilio.

Western Washington, along with the other GNAC men’s golf programs, will open official play on Fri., Sept. 20 at the Saint Martin’s Invitational at The Home Course in DuPont, Washington. Simon Fraser will make an early start to the season with an international trip, playing September 4-6 in the BUCS Stirling International Tournament at St. Andrews in the United Kingdom.