SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Concordia University men’s golf team entered the first round of the 2018-19 GPAC championships hoping to shoot a score south of 300. Instead, the Bulldogs carded a 309 while competing on the par 70 Willow Run Golf Course in Sioux Falls, S.D. Concordia finds itself in seventh place out of 11 GPAC squads with 54 holes of conference action left to be contested.
Eighth-year head coach Brett Muller’s program is coming off a fifth-place GPAC finish in 2017-18. The Bulldogs will need to improve on day two if they are to position themselves for another top-five conference finish in the spring. Muller called Monday’s round “disappointing.”
For the second round in a row, junior Tylar Samek was the low man amongst Bulldogs. He shot a four-over-par 74, placing him in a tie for 14th on the individual leaderboard. Now gunning for his fourth All-GPAC honor in a row, senior Nolan Zikas came in next with a 76 (tied for 24th). The rest of the lineup got its first taste of the GPAC championships. Concordia was rounded out by junior Josh Schaefer (79; T-32nd), sophomore Jayden Neal (80; T-39th) and junior Colton Zulkoski (81; T-42nd).
In his first three runs through the GPAC championships, Zikas has placed ninth, 24th and 16th, respectively. Meanwhile, Samek placed 22nd as a freshman and 32nd as a sophomore on the GPAC leaderboard.
The action will pick up from Willow Run on Tuesday for the final GPAC championship round of the fall. Concordia’s first tee time will be at 10 a.m. CT. The Bulldogs are 29 strokes off of first-place Northwestern. Four players share the individual lead (one-under-par 69).
Live scoring results can be found HERE.