ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The 2015 installment of the Lobo Men’s Golf season will begin this weekend at the Gopher Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota. The tournament, scheduled to begin Sept. 13-14, is the season-opening event for the Lobos.
The field includes last year’s champion Minnesota with Baylor, Cal, Charlotte, East Tennessee State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kent State, Michigan, Michigan State, Pepperdine, SMU, St. John’s (Minn.) and of course New Mexico all participating. Last year’s medalist, Victor Wiggins from UNC Charlotte, is returning to defend his title.
This is New Mexico’s fourth appearance in the Gopher Invite, and the eleventh event in the tournament’s history. UNM is looking to continue on last year’s impressive season which included two tournament wins, a fourth place finish at the Mountain West Championship and ending with a ninth place finish at the NCAA Regionals in San Diego.
The Lobos are led by longtime head coach Glen Millican. The four-time Mountain West Coach of the Year will look to guide this UNM squad to a NCAA Championship appearance for a seventh time in the Millican era.
This season’s Lobo squad features a handful of returners in Joseph Abella, Andrej Bevins, Andre Garcia, Mitch Johnson, Gustavo Morantes and Ben Tolsma. Infused with that group is the collection of newcomers of Isaac Alderete, Sean Carlon, Samuel Kim, Mark MacGrath and Chun Yin Lee. Alderete redshirted last season after joining the Lobos from Sandia Prep while Carlon won the Albuquerque City Championship this summer after graduating from Hope Christian School.
The tournament will be hosted in Independence, Minn. The event is being held at Windsong Farm Golf Club for the third time. The course, which recently underwent a facelift in an attempt to change the overall playability, is looking to present a different type of challenge to the players. The par is set for 71 with an overall length of 7,152 yards.
The Gopher Invitational will be the team’s only action before their annual home tournament, the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate on Sept. 25 and 26 at the UNM Championship course.
Visit golobos.com for live tournament updates.
Millican’s Lobos Open Season in Minnesota
