NIU men’s golf coach Jack Pheanis returned from Minneapolis “pleased with a number of things.” His team had just finished eighth at the 13-team University of Minnesota Invitational, and he had gotten a good look at his five qualifiers.

“I like to think of the fall as an exhibition,” Pheanis said. “It gives me a chance to experiment with my players to find the best team I can.”

The tournament was played over 63 holes, an irregular number for intercollegiate golf. The first 27 were held at Hazeltine National Golf Club, while the final 36 were shot at the Les Bolstad University of Minnesota Golf Club.

“Hazeltine will be the host for the PGA’s U.S. Open in 1991, so you can imagine that it would be a demanding course,” Pheanis said. “Both courses were difficult and the weather was a big factor, especially on Monday when it was quite cold.”

When Pheanis said that no one has yet pulled away from the rest of the team, he is serious. Only five strokes separated the top Huskie finisher from the fifth. The NIU leader was Mike Briggs, who shot a 274. He was followed by Chad Behrends with a 275, only one shot ahead of Rick Stewart who finished with 276. Ray Eckersoll and Brian Chavez rounded out the Huskie scorers with 277 and 278, respectively.

“We have a lot of depth,” Pheanis said. “My job now is to get different people in to find out what they can do. That will not be an easy job.”

Since there are eight men on the squad and only five can travel to any given invite, they must play qualifying rounds to earn a spot. The team played seven 18-hole rounds to determine the top five. The five competitors in last weekend’s match were the top finishers in the qualifying rounds. Chavez and Eckersoll tied for fourth, leaving Tek Osbourne only two shots off the pace.

“This will be a fun fall,” said Pheanis. “Who will come to the top, I cannot say. The best five will have to prove themselves. but right now Briggs, Stewart, and Behrends stand out because of their experience. I would really like to see our team play well enough to fight for a spot in either the regional or the NCAAs next spring.”

The other teams that competed at the Minnesota Invitational were Iowa, Wisconsin, Wright State, Drake, Illinois State, Bradley, Northern Iowa, Minnesota-Duluth, Gustavus Adolphus, Iowa State, Stetson, and host Minnesota.