The Northern Kentucky University men’s golf team finished the season and will now get ready to compete in the conference championship, where the expectations are high.
“We will be disappointed with anything other than a victory,” junior Steve Rickels said. “We have proven we can beat all the teams. We just got to go out and get it done.”
The Norse are coming off a third place finish at the Indiana Regional, held at Purgatory Golf Course in Noblesville, Ind on April 8-9.
The Norse tied for third out of 25 teams at regional. NKU shot a two-day total of 610, the same as the University of Findlay. Tiffin University won the competition with a score of 607 and Northwood University (Mich.) came in second with a total of 608.
“We didn’t play as well as we wanted,” Rickels said. “But there were tough conditions and we hung in there to get a third place finish out of it.”
Junior Jones Brown led the way for the Norse by winning the event with rounds of 70 and 75 for a total of 145.
“Jones Brown had a fantastic tournament,” said head coach Daryl Landrum. “He hung in there all tournament and played two rounds of solid golf.”
Next, the Norse will travel to Paducah, Ky. to play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Golf Championship, held from April 15 to 17.
This will be the first time the event will be played at the Country Club of Paducah. According to Landrum, it is an old style country club and that is a key to the championship will be ball striking.
“I think it plays in our favor,” Landrum said. “But in golf you got to go out and prove it everyday.”
The tournament starts with a 54-hole stroke play event, with 18 holes on April 15 and 36 holes on April 16.
The top four teams after the three rounds will advance to play in match play to determine the champion. The semifinals and the finals of match play will take place on April 17.
“We fully expect to make the match play,” Landrum said. “Anything can happen to anybody in match play, since it is not based on scoring and is based on points. This is the first time it will be used in conference play. I’m looking forward to it, and I think it will be a great experience for everybody.”
After the GLVC Championships, the top 10 teams ranked in the Midwest Regional will advance to the NCAA Super Regional. In the last rankings that came out March 22, NKU was ranked No. 2 behind Indianapolis.
With having a spot in the NCAA Tournament locked up, the team is looking to build up momentum in the conference tournament.
“We are looking to get a boost for Super Regional and also to drive us forward to the national championship,” sophomore Corey Richmond said.
