SEWARD, Neb. – The conclusion to the 2021-22 GPAC Men’s Golf Championships is coming up this weekend as the spring portion of the event unfolds at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D. The action is slated to get started at 10 a.m. CT on both Friday and Saturday. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad hopes to move up from sixth place, where it stands after two fall rounds that were held at Indian Creek Golf Course in Elkhorn, Neb.
2022 GPAC Men’s Golf Championship
April 22-23 | The Bluffs GC (Vermillion, S.D.) | 10 a.m. (both days)
--Live Scoring: https://www.golfgenius.com/ (GGID = 2122MGPAC)
--GPAC Men’s Golf webpage
By the numbers
· Over the first two rounds of GPAC golf (Sept. 27-28), the Concordia University Men’s Golf team shot a total of 298-308–606. Currently, the Bulldogs are looking up at Morningside (278-293–571), Briar Cliff (300-288–588), Midland (290-298–588), Northwestern (297-303–600) and Doane (301-301–602). The Bulldogs are poised to move up from their 2020-21 conference finish of ninth (342-330-315-321–1,308). Drew D’Ercole was the team’s top individual finisher last season when he placed 21st (80-82-70-85–317). He was named Honorable Mention All-GPAC.
· After tying for first place last week at the Hastings Invite, Ivan Yabut has his sights set on placing in the top 10 of the GPAC and perhaps even taking a shot at the title. The Omaha native currently sits in sixth place in the conference after he shot a two-round score of 71-74–145 (+1). The top five on the leaderboard are Morningside’s Mason Weeks (141), Sam Storey (141), and Xan Milligan (142), Dordt’s Freddy Bullock (144) and Midland’s Peyton Koch (144).
· Next in line for the Bulldogs on the GPAC leaderboard are Justin Webert (81-72–153; T-29th), Jack Williams (74-80–154; T-31st), Drew D’Ercole (77-82–159; T-41st) and Jake Hagerbaumer (76-84–160; T-43rd). Last season, D’Ercole placed 21st while Yabut placed 31st (87-86-80-75–328). Jayden Neal (who graduated) also qualified for the overall leaderboard in 2020-21 and finished 38th (90-83-85-88–346).
· In terms of scoring average throughout nine events (18 rounds) in 2021-22, the top five Concordia performers have been Yabut (75.0), D’Ercole (75.7), Webert (77.1), Hagerbaumer (78.4) and Jacob Woodmancy (79.7). The team’s season average rests at 304.7 with eight rounds of scores below 300. Yabut has finished in the top five of three tournaments and inside the top 10 of five events. D’Ercole has three top 10s to his credit. Back in the fall, Yabut broke a program record for lowest single-round score when he carded a seven-under-par 65 at the Siouxland Invite.
NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship
National qualifiers that come out of the conference championships will continue their seasons with the 2022 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship set to be played in Silvis, Ill., May 17-20. For more information on the national tournament, click HERE.