Sept. 14, 2012

DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois men’s golf team will pile into their golf cruiser for the first time this season for a trip to Zionsville, Ind. to compete in the Wolf Run Intercollegiate. The 54-hole event begins with 36 holes on Saturday, Sept. 15, and concludes with the final 18-hole round on Sunday, Sept. 16.

The tournament, hosted by Indiana, features a contingent of programs from the region. Illinois, Ohio State, Butler, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Akron, IUPUI, Texas Tech, Miami (OH), Eastern Michigan and IPFW will join NIU and Indiana in suburban Indianapolis this weekend.  

NIU enters the event coming off an eleventh-place finish at its own Northern Intercollegiate. Senior Griffin Bauman (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central)  led NIU’s effort at Rich Harvest Farms, where an opening-round 75 led to a tie for 29th. Bauman will play out of the team’s number-one position on Porten’s lineup card in the Hoosier state.

Senior Bryce Emory (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) is set to make his first start of the 2012-13 season after putting together a strong stat line last year. Emory finished second on the team with a 74.8 scoring average in 2012 and claimed two of the team’s six top-10 performances. The Aurora product qualified as the team’s fifth and final team competitor at Wolf Run.

Rounding out NIU’s lineup are sophomore Nick Schiavi (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), Shawn Foley (Pewaukee, Wis./Waukesha North), and senior Greg Pohlmann (Decatur, Ill./Lakeview).  Sophomore Nick Huggins (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) will be competing as an individual.  

The Huskies will play Saturday’s first two rounds with Wisconsin and IUPUI.

Wolf Run Golf Club is a difficult course, so tough; that Golf Digest included it as the 21st most difficult in the country in its 2010 course rankings, joining the likes of Oakmont, Winged Foot, and Spyglass Hill in the top 25.  The club checks in with a 74.3 rating from the back tees.  The par 71 layout will play at 7,195 yards this weekend.  

Wolf Run began annually hosting this tournament in 2006, taking a one year hiatus last season. The course also hosted an NCAA Regional in 2011.

Play begins on Saturday morning with a shotgun start at 8:45 a.m., the Huskies will start from the eighth, ninth and 10th tees.