Men’s golf finishes fall season with eighth place finish

By Eddie Miller, Sports Reporter

October 16, 2023

Graduate student golfer Zach Place watches his shot during practice. The NIU men’s golf team finished its 2023 fall season with an 18th place finish at the Quail Valley Invitational. (Courtesy NIU Athletics)

DeKALB – NIU men’s golf finished its last tournament of the fall – the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational – placing tied for ninth place. Graduate student Josh Kirkham led the Huskies for the first time this season, posting an 18th place finish.

The Huskies started the tournament hot, shooting a 274 in the first round and setting a new 18-hole team scoring record. The Huskies fell from fourth place to seventh following a score of 287 in the second round. NIU finished the tournament shooting a 295 in Round 3, dropping the team to a tie for ninth place.

Kirkham set his season low of 67 in the first round and went on to shoot a 73 in the second round. Kirkham finished the tournament shooting a 70 in the third round, keying his first top-20 finish of the season.

Graduate student Zach Place was the Huskies’ second golder after finishing tied for 26th place. Place shot a 69 in the first round and followed it up with a score of 70 in the second round. Place rounded out the tournament shooting his worst score of the tournament, a 74.

Junior Ben Sluzas logged NIU’s third-best finish, tying for 50th place. Sluzas opened the tournament shooting a 73 in the first round. Sluzas shot his best score of the tournament, 69, in the second round and left the tournament shooting a 75 in the third round.

Junior Felix Krammer held NIU’s fourth-best finish, tying for 69th place. Krammer also set his career low, shooting a 68 in the first round. A score of 75 in the second round and 79 in the third round bit Krammer, dropping him out of the top 50.

Freshman Craig Long II rounded out the Huskies’ lineup after getting his second consecutive start. Long opened the tournament shooting a 70 – his best of the tournament – but followed it up with his worst score in the second round, shooting a 77. Long closed the tournament with a score of 76 in the third round, cementing a 73rd place finish.

The Huskies return to action in an all day event on Feb. 26 that stretches through Feb. 28 at the Lake Las Vegas Invitational. The tournament is held at the Reflection Bay Golf Course in Henderson, Nevada. Live stats will be available through GolfStat.