Sluzas leads Huskies at Gopher Invitational

Men’s golf starts 2023 with tenth-place finish

By Eddie Miller, Sports Reporter

September 12, 2023

Then-senior Zach Place walks on the course at the NCAA Regional in May. The Huskies finished the event in ninth place. (Mike Hasse | NIU Athletics)

DeKALB – NIU men’s golf wrapped up its first tournament of the Fall 2023 season, placing tied for 10th place out of 14 teams. The Huskies had two golfers place within the top 25. Junior Ben Sluzas finished tied for 11th place, and junior Felix Krammer finished tied for 18th place.

NIU struggled in the beginning of the tournament, shooting a 294 and finishing the first round in 13th place. The Huskies bounced back in the second round, shooting a 285 – their lowest round score of the tournament. The Huskies finished the tournament shooting a 287.

Sluzas headlined the Huskie lineup, finishing the first round shooting a 71. Sluzas’ shot one stroke over in the second round – 72 – but finished the tournament with a 69, his lowest score of the tournament.

Krammer, who transferred to NIU this offseason, finished as NIU’s second-best golfer. He finished the first round with his worst score of the tournament – 74 – but went on to score his tournament low 69 in the second round. Krammer wrapped up the tournament carding a 71 in the third round.

Graduate student Zach Place finished as NIU’s third-best golfer, finishing the tournament tied for 49th place. Place’s first round score of 71 was his best, and he finished the tournament shooting a 75 in the second round and a 74 in the third round.

Finishing tied for 57th place, sophomore Ian Bruchhauser had the Huskies’ fourth-best individual finish. Bruchhauser struggled in the first round with a score of 79, but bounced back after a score of 71 in the second round. Bruchhauser finished the third round shooting a 73.

Rounding out NIU’s lineup was graduate student Josh Kirkham, who shot a 78 in the first round, a 73 in the second round and a 77 in the third round. Kirkham finished the tournament tied for 68th place.

UP NEXT

NIU’s next tournament is the VCU Shootout, an all day event ranging from Sept. 18 through Sept. 19 in Richmond, Virginia, at The Country Club of Virginia. The tournament is hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University, and live stats will be available through GolfStat.