Golf squad moves to GLIAC tourney

October 10, 2005 —

The SVSU men's golf team is continuing its impressive season heading into the GLIAC championships being held today and tomorrow in Erie, Pennsylvania. The squad has two first-place finishes in its last three matches, and have not placed lower than fourth in any of their five matches this fall.

The Cardinals placed first at the Bay Valley Intercollegiate on Saturday, Oct. 1 in Bay City. The other first place finish was at the NCAA Regional Qualifier on September 24 to 26 at Hawks Head Golf Course in South Haven.

Head coach Andy Bethune points out that the even though there is still a lot of season left in the spring, the performance at the Regional Qualifier will only be an asset to the team as they pursue a GLIAC championship.

"The first place finish gives them momentum," he said. "It makes them believe that they can win a big tournament."

A big tournament is exactly what this is. The Cardinals can finish out the fall portion of their season in prime position to make a run at the NCAA National Tournament in the spring.

The course that the GLIAC Championships will be played on is nothing out of the ordinary for the Cardinals, and Bethune says that, to his knowledge, there is nothing that will hinder his team from playing to maximum capacity.

"The course is pretty much straight forward," he said. "There is not a lot of trouble on it, and it should not pose any problems for us."

The Cardinals received excellent performances from each of their individual golfers to capture the title at the Regional Qualifier.

Junior Adam Miller played extremely well and tied for medalist honors with a four-under-par total of 140 for the two-day event.

Miller played so well that he was awarded the GLIAC Golfer of the Week the ensuing week by the GLIAC media. Miller has finished in the top five in three tournaments so far this fall, and his average through six rounds is a team-best 73.2.

Bethune said he knows what to expect from Miller every tournament, and he also pointed out that this is only a step in his individual development during this season.

"This is an ongoing process for Adam," Bethune said. "He is maturing with every round, and he is learning how to be a better competitor every time he comes out."