72 // VARSITY April 17, 2014
INSIDE
MEN'S GOLF
Badgers preparing for
Big Ten championship
UW will close out season at May tourney
BY TESSA RUID @BADGERMGOLF
A
fter closing out the
regular season with a
ninth-place finish at
the Hawkeye-Great River En-
tertainment Invitational held
April 12-13 in Iowa City, Iowa,
the UW men's golf team is
now preparing for the Big Ten
Men's Golf Championship May
2-4 on the Pete Dye Course in
French lick, Ind.
The Badgers will look to im-
prove their 12th-place finish
of 80-over par 304-308-304-
316―1232 recorded at the 72-
hole tournament last season.
As a team, UW recorded five
top-10 finishes in eight events
this year and is averaging
299.26 strokes per 18 holes
(6883 strokes/ 23 rounds).
UW has been led by strong
play from veterans Zach Balit,
Robert Jacobsen and Jack Wat-
son. The trio of redshirt seniors has com-
bined for 27 rounds this year at 74 or
lower, and Jacobsen is leading the Bad-
gers individually with his 18-hole career-
best average of 74.26 strokes (1708/23).
Watson is averaging a career-best 74.55
(1491/20), while Balit has a career-low
average of 75.17 (1729/23).
TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL NOTES
● Wisconsin recorded a season 54-hole
best 288-299-295―882 at the USF In-
vitational March 2-4. UW also record-
ed its season 18-hole best of 288 and
36-hole season-low of 587.
● All team members have set or tied ca-
reer marks this season with a total of
24 marks having been set or tied.
● Seven Badgers have recorded 54-hole
career-best tournament finishes.
● Jacobsen earned his second Big Ten
Conference Golfer of the Week honor
on March 19 after carding a 36-hole
career-best 3-under par 72-69―141
at the rain-shortened 36-hole Se-
ahawk Intercollegiate held March 16.
● Balit tallied a career-low 68-74-
73―215 at the USF Invitational.
● Jacobsen earned a third-place finish at
the Badger Invitational Sept. 29-Oct. 1
with a career-best 74-73-68―215.
● Watson tied Jacobsen for ninth at the
Wendy's Kiawah Classic Nov. 3-5 after
recording a 54-hole career-best 73-
73-73―219. He also shot a 219 at the
Hootie at Bulls Bay held March 23-25.
● Jacobsen leads the team with three
top-25 finishes, while Balit and fresh-
men Tommy Schofield and Ben Sko-
gen each have two.
SCHEDULE
COMING UP
May 2-4 2014 Big Ten All Day
Championship
Zach Balit has played
a key role in UW's five
top-10 finishes.
