DeKALB – As the 2022-23 season closes, NIU men’s golf prepares for its last tournament in the 2023 MAC Championship. Coming off back-to-back third place finishes, sophomore Ben Sluzas headlines the Huskies roster. 

All 10 MAC teams automatically make the tournament, both the winning team as well as the winning individual will be sent to the NCAA regional tournament. 

At last years’ MAC Championship, the Huskies tied with Bowling Green State University for third place with a score of 896 through three rounds. Senior Zach Place led the way for the Huskies, finishing tied for seventh place.

NIU goes into the MAC Championship behind Sluzas, who has been one of its top golfers this season. Sluzas has placed within the top three in three tournaments, including two first place finishes. 

Sluzas’ first came at the Badger Invitational where he finished tied for first place, shooting nine under par. In the Huskies’ most recent tournament – the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate – Sluzas notched his second first place finish. 

Sluzas received MAC Golfer of the Week honors after he tied for third place at the Hawkeye Invitational. Sluzas finished eight under par and with a tournament low 66 in round two.

The Huskies’ most experienced golfer is graduate Tommy Dunsire. Dunsire leads NIU in stroke average – 71.9 – and has the lowest round score on the team. Dunsire found his low of 64 in the second round of the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational. 

With a stroke average of 74.2, NIU’s third best golfer on the season has been Place. Competing in all 10 tournaments, Place has finished within the top-20 three times. His best tournament was the Goodwin, placing tied at even to par with Southern Methodist University junior Dawson Ovard. 

Throughout the 2022-23 season, the Huskies have placed in the top three in three tournaments. NIU’s best tournament as a team was the Hawkeye Invitational, finishing third out of 13 teams. NIU matched its 18-hole record of 275 in the second round and completed the tournament 12 under par. 

In the Huskies’ latest tournament – the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate – NIU finished 26 over par, earning them third place. The Huskies found their lowest round in the first round, finishing with a score of 288. 

The MAC Championship is an all day event, taking place Sunday through Tuesday. The tournament is held at Canebrake Club in Athens, Alabama. Live stats will be available through Golfstat.