It’s been nine years since the MSU men’s golf team won a Big Ten championship title. Since then, the University of Illinois has swept the Big Ten, winning every conference title except in 2014 when Minnesota took it.
But this year, the Spartans have a chance to contend for the title they’ve fought for.
Five tournaments into the regular season, the Spartans have recorded four top-five finishes, including two wins.
“It’s been a great season,” MSU head coach Casey Lubahn said. “Two wins, four really good finishes against great fields, against the top 40 fields. It’s only half the year, but it’s a big start to the year, and it really provides us a platform to go chase (NCAA) and Big Ten championships here in the spring.”
For co-captain Charlie Netzel, this early success is a long time coming.
“It’s been a struggle the first two years, I would say, for this program when I was here,” Netzel said. “Coach did a great job turning it around. We had the same four or five guys for three straight years, and we got better each and every year. So it was a lot of fun to see all the time we put in, and we’d reap the rewards.”
The senior from Western Springs, Ill. said the lulls early on in his MSU career have created extra motivation for the team.
“It’s never fun to be a part of a team that’s not good, so you always work really hard to get out of that, and we’ve gotten out of that,” Netzel said. “Working with the younger guys — telling them how it’s not fun, and it’s no fun to get yelled at by coach, and playing bad — it’s extra motivation.”
The Spartans started the season at the Gopher Invitational on Sept. 10 and 11. Senior Sam Weatherhead shot a team-low score of 211 as MSU finished the weekend third out of 15 teams.
The following weekend, the Spartans — led by junior Michael Sharp’s score of 211 — took fourth in the Inverness Intercollegiate.
MSU notched its first tournament victory of the season at the Bearcat Invitational Sept. 26 and 27.
After the victory, the Spartans managed to finish 11th in the Alister MacKenzie Invitational as Netzel recorded a team-low total score of 205.
The Spartans rebounded from their worst finish of the season with a win at the Quail Valley Intercollegiate. Freshman Kaleb Johnson shot a 204 and took third overall individually.
MSU has been led thus far this season by senior co-captain Sam Weatherhead. The senior from Grand Rapids, Mich. holds the lowest 18-hole scoring average so far this season with a 70.26. He is also tied with Johnson for the lowest 18-hole score this season with a 66.
He has logged three top-five finishes and one top 20 in five events played.
Heading into the Big Ten Match Play Championship on Feb. 10 and 11, the Spartans have generated plenty of momentum needed to contend on the national stage as they are currently ranked No. 29 in Golf Week’s rankings.
“It’s the highest we’ve been ranked,” Lubahn said. “It’s been a steady progression. We started at 198 in the country five years ago, and to be 29th now, I think it’s just the next step and to just keep moving up. It puts us as the number one seed in the Big Ten Match Play next week. Puts us in strong consideration for one of the top teams in the country.”
Lubahn said with the team’s success as of late, the focus on the issues surrounding the team becomes narrow.
“This team is a very consistent group,” Lubahn said. “They’re just very steady, probably comes from two senior co-captains who are really good leaders. Right now, our focus is very elementary. It seems the higher the level you get, your focus narrows into the simple things.
“Right now, we’re working on drinking the right amount of water, eating the right things, stretching enough, sleeping enough. All those little basic building blocks is what we’re going to just keep focusing on because they have the talent to play with anybody.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Netzel — currently holding the Spartans’ second best 54 hole score this season with a 205 — said it is key that this team avoids the distractions of potentially winning a conference title.
“We’ve never really been in contention for a Big Ten title (recently) like where we know if we play well, we can win,” Netzel said. “It’ll be fun to see how we handle that, and I hope everybody on the team believes that we can win if we play well because I do and I know Sam does and coach does. We’ve got eight or nine guys that can play and help this team, so we need someone to step up.”
Despite the positive vibe surrounding this team, there is also a downside.
Several players are rehabbing injuries, but Netzel said it’s just an opportunity for the younger golfers to step up.
“There’s someone else who can step up,” Netzel said. “It’s a great opportunity for a guy that might have the opportunity to play. He can work hard and get himself on the lineup. I think it’s more of a good thing for the younger guys. They realize they got a chance to play.”
Lubahn said the injuries are just a blockade in what accompanies a great season.
“We’ve got a couple guys who are injured right now, so that’s affecting a little bit of our prep,” he said. “So like every good season, we’re going to have some adversity along the way. We’re just working through it right now.”
The Spartans will play their sixth tournament of the season at the Big Ten Match Play Championship in Palm Coast, Fla. on Feb. 10 and 11.
