Michigan State University Athletics
Men's Golf Begins Big Ten Title Defense This Weekend
4/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
April 26, 2006
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EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State men's golf team begins its Big Ten title defense this weekend, April 28-30, at the 87th Big Ten Championships at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill. The 72-hole event begins with 36 holes on Friday, while teams will play 18 holes on Saturday and Sunday.
Last season, the Spartans claimed their first Big Ten Championship since 1969, posting a 54-hole total of 17-under-par 847 at Wisconsin's University Ridge Golf Club. Head Coach Mark Hankins captured the conference crown in his sixth year with the Spartans, and earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
"These guys are very focused right now and they have been preparing very hard all week," Hankins said. "It's a matter of being ready to play on the first tee and staying focused until we finish. Playing 72 holes should bring out the best team. The better teams end up winning in longer tournaments, and we're hoping that's an advantage for us."
MSU's One-Two Punch
Junior Matt Harmon and sophomore Ryan Brehm return after posting top-five finishes at last year's Big Ten Championships. Brehm finished tied for second with a 13-under-par 203 total, setting a program record for the lowest 54-hole score, and earned 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Matt Harmon earned first-team All Big Ten honors after finishing third with a 7-under-par 209 total. Neither player has missed a collegiate event, and have combined for 12 top-five finishes in their careers.
Harmon - MSU's Go-To Guy
In 31 career events, Matt Harmon has posted 11 top-10 finishes and a 73.88 scoring average. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native won his first collegiate event this spring, capturing medalist honors at Georgia Southern's EZ-Go Schenkel Invitational. Harmon led wire-to-wire and carded a 9-under-par 207 total, tying his lowest 54-hole score of his career.
2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
As a freshman, Ryan Brehm posted four top-10 finishes, a 73.19 scoring average, and a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. After becoming the first Spartan to earn Freshman of the Year honors, Brehm has continued to shine for the Green and White. With the team's leading scoring average (73.96), Brehm ranks second all-time at MSU with a 73.55 career scoring average.
The Spartans' Freshmen Trio
With no seniors on the team, Michigan State has relied heavily on the play of three freshmen, including two true freshmen. Steve Cuzzort, Randy Hutchison and Grant Tungate have played in six tournaments each, and have a combined 76.15 scoring average. Tungate leads the trio with a 75.61 scoring average, and is the team's most consistent freshman. Hutchison has posted two top-20 finishes, including a fifth-place performance at the Landfall Tradition, while Cuzzort has posted three rounds of par or better.
Last Time Out
The Spartans erased an 18-shot deficit in the final round of the 39th Fossum Invitational, snaring a one-shot lead with six holes remaining. The Spartans' lead was short-lived, however, as MSU finished in seventh place at 305-288-285 -- 878, eight shots behind Indiana. Matt Harmon tallied a pair of sub-par rounds and finished tied for seventh at even-par 216, while Randy Hutchison and Ryan Brehm tied for 13th at 2-over-par 218.
Michigan State in the Midwest District
MSU enters its final two tournaments ranked No. 8 in the Midwest District, behind conference foes Purdue, Northwestern, and Minnesota. The Spartans are looking to make their fourth NCAA Regional appearance in five years.
Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings
Michigan State has played the nation's 28th-ranked schedule and is ranked No. 60 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Individually, Matt Harmon and Ryan Brehm lead MSU. Behind the strength of his first-place finish at the EZ-Go Schenkel Invitational, Harmon is ranked No. 165, while Brehm is ranked No. 163.
