2019-20 Men's Golf
*7th place in GPAC (336-329–665) when season ended | Season Stats
Schedule/Results
Blue River Classic (Sept. 3-4) | Wilderness Ridge GC | Lincoln, Neb. | Results
Siouxland Invite (Sept. 9-10) | The Ridge/Landsmeer GC | Sioux Center/Orange City, Iowa | Results
GPAC Preview (Sept. 23) | Indian Creek GC | Omaha, Neb. | Results
GPAC Fall Championships (Sept. 27-28) | Indian Creek GC | Omaha, Neb. | Results
Nebraska Intercollegiate (Oct. 11-12) | Norfolk CC | Norfolk, Neb. | CANCELED
Embry-Riddle Spring Invite (March 8-10) | Antelope Hills South | Prescott, Ariz. | Results
Concordia-Doane Ryder Cup (March 28) | CANCELED
Bethel College Invite (April 4-5) | CANCELED
Red Raider Cup (April 14-15) | CANCELED
Briar Cliff Invite (April 20-21) | CANCELED
GPAC Spring Championships (April 27-28) | CANCELED
NAIA National Championships (May 19-22) | CANCELED
Bulldogs card 356 on opening day of 2020-21 season
BEATRICE, Neb. – The Blue River Classic field of 75 golfers that opened up the 2020-21 collegiate golf season were greeted by unseasonably cool conditions on Tuesday (Sept. 8). Rain and strong winds played a role in higher scores across the board in round one of the event that played out at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice, Neb. The top grouping for the Concordia University Men’s Golf Team shot a 356.
This marked the opening of Head Coach Brett Muller’s 10th season leading the Bulldog program. Ten golfers represented Concordia at the Blue River Classic. The Bulldogs will host the second and final round of the event on Wednesday.
In his first collegiate round, freshman Ivan Yabut of Omaha paced Concordia by shooting a 12-over-par 84. Yabut currently stands in a tie for 14th place. He led the Bulldog ‘A’ team that also included Jayden Neal (88; T-29th), Drew D’Ercole (90; T-38th), Jacob Woodmancy (94; T-48th) and Jack Williams (94; T-48th). D’Ercole is the team’s top returner after having produced a scoring average of 80.1 in 2019-20.
On the ‘B’ squad, Nathan Auffut turned in Concordia’s second best round of the day with an 87 (tied for 22nd place). The remainder of the second team featured Landon Walkenhorst (92; T-44th), Gavin McWhorter (97; T-58th), Harrison Helmer (102; T-70th) and Taylor Johnson (113; 73rd).
Ten different institutions were represented on Tuesday. Iowa Western Community College is the tournament leader after shooting a 331.
The first tee times on Wednesday are set for 10 a.m. CT from Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, home to the Bulldogs.
Concordia to co-host Blue River Classic starting Tuesday
SEWARD, Neb. – Ten teams and a total of 75 golfers will make up the field at the 2020 Blue River Classic, which will be co-hosted by the Concordia University Men’s Golf program along with Doane. The event will get started on Tuesday (Sept. 8) at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice, Neb. In the second round on Wednesday, the action will shift to the home of the Bulldogs, Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb. The first tee times are set for 10 a.m. CT both days.
This will be the first event of the 2020 fall season for either the men’s or women’s teams, led by Brett Muller (entering his 10th season as head coach). The Bulldog men placed seventh in the GPAC during a COVID-shortened 2019-20 season. The squad’s top returner is Drew D’Ercole (freshman in terms of eligibility). D’Ercole shined at the Embry Riddle Spring Invite back in March by shooting a three-day total of 74-73-74–221.
D’Ercole will be one of 10 Bulldogs to compete in the Blue River Classic. Other key returners include the likes of Jack Williams (81.3 average in 2019-20) and Jayden Neal (84.2). A year ago, Concordia carded one of its best rounds of the season when it shot a 307 in round two of the Blue River Classic. Concordia placed ninth out of 16 teams at the 2019 event. The tournament winner was Iowa Western Community College.
Just in time for the Blue River Classic, temperatures are expected to dip into the 50s with rain chances on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
2020 Blue River Classic Field
Briar Cliff University
Concordia University
Dakota Wesleyan University
Doane University
Dordt University
Hastings College
Iowa Western Community College
University of Jamestown
Midland University
Mount Marty University
Follow@CUNEBulldogGolf and @cunebulldogs on Twitter for updates and information throughout the event.
Concordia improves on day two of blustery Blue River
LINCOLN, Neb. – Another cold and dreary day of the Blue River Classic unfolded on Wednesday (Sept. 9) as the action shifted to Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, home of the Bulldogs. Scores improved across the board in conditions that were actually more favorable than what greeted the field of 74 golfers a day earlier. The Concordia University men’s golf team placed ninth out of 13 teams (representing 10 different institutions) at the meet it co-hosted with Doane.
After the Bulldog ‘A’ team shot a 356 on Tuesday, it slashed its score to 319 on Wednesday. It was the type of improvement Head Coach Brett Muller hopes his squad can build upon moving forward from the season opening tournament.
“Our guys shot better individually (on day two),” Muller said. “Conditions were much more favorable and it was a more favorable golf course for scoring. It was good to see the guys improve. We still left some shots out there, especially with our putting. Our short game and our putting will definitely be the focus. We have to tighten some things up there.”
Omaha native Ivan Yabut is clearly a welcome addition to the lineup. He carded a two-day total of 84-80–164 and placed in a tie for 22nd. Yabut may end up battling Drew D’Ercole for the No. 1 spot in the lineup this season. D’Ercole shook off yesterday’s 90 in tough conditions at Beatrice Country Club and shot a 75 on Wednesday. He finished one stroke behind Yabut and placed 27th.
The remainder of the ‘A’ team group featured Jayden Neal (88-83–171; T-40th), Jack Williams (94-81–175; T-48th) and Jacob Woodmancy (94-85–179; T-56th). A strong performer in 2019-20, Williams cut 13 strokes off his day one total.
Concordia also entered a second grouping into the event. Nathan Auffet made his pitch to move up into the varsity lineup by carding the lowest score of all Bulldogs. He placed in a tie for 15th while shooting 87-75–162. He was followed by Landon Walkenhorst (92-81–173; T-45th), Gavin McWhorter (97-85–182; T-61st), Harrison Helmer (102-82–184; T-65th) and Taylor Johnson (113-86–199; 73rd). Johnson had the biggest improvement of any Bulldog from day one to day two.
“I’m proud out of what we saw out of Ivan,” Muller said. “Gavin and Jacob both improved. Those guys can really push for a top five spot. I’m really proud of the way Nathan Auffet played. He’s really worked hard on his game and 75 is a great score out of him today.”
The Bulldogs will hope for better weather next week at the Siouxland Invite (Sept. 14-15) co-hosted by Dordt and Northwestern. The event will take place in both Sioux Center, Iowa, and Orange City, Iowa. Meanwhile, the women’s team is getting set to open up its season this Thursday and Friday at the Mount Marty Invite.
Concordia cards best round of season to date
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The Concordia University Men’s Golf Team took another step forward on Monday (Sept. 14) by carding its best single-round score so far this fall. The Bulldog ‘A’ team shot a 314 while in action on day one of two at the Siouxland Invite co-hosted by Dordt and Northwestern. Monday’s round was played at The Ridge in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad sits in seventh place out of 14 teams (eight different institutions represented). Concordia entered both an A and a B squad into the meet.
With 18 holes in the books, freshman Ivan Yabut leads the way for the Bulldogs. He shot a three-over-par 74 on Monday and is currently tied for ninth place out of 69 golfers. The Omaha native eagled on six and birdied 18. Two other Concordia players shot in the 70s: Landon Walkenhorst (78; T-26th) and Jayden Neal (79; T-32nd). The rest of the ‘A’ team included Drew D’Ercole (83; T-44th) and Nate Auffet (84; T-49th).
The second grouping of Bulldogs was paced by Jack Williams and Jacob Woodmancy, who both shot an 83 (+12). Next in line were Taylor Johnson (84; T-49th) and Harrison Helmer (88; 59th). Their scores computed to a team total of 338 (12th place).
The Siouxland Invite is the second tournament of the year for Concordia, which co-hosted the Blue River Classic with Doane last week. The Bulldogs shot a two-round total of 356-319–675 at the event.
The site for Tuesday’s round of the Siouxland Invite will be Landsmeer Golf Course in Orange City, Iowa, home to Northwestern. Results can be followed via Golf Genius (tournament ID is 2020SIOUX).
Bulldogs place seventh at Siouxland Invite
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Concordia University Men’s Golf Team has wrapped up its second tournament of the fall season. The Bulldogs held their seventh-place positioning in round two of the Siouxland Invite held Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 14-15) and co-hosted by Dordt and Northwestern. The field descended upon The Ridge (Sioux Center) and Landsmeer Golf Club (Orange City) and featured mostly GPAC squads.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad shot a two-round total of 314-321–635 (+67). That score marked a significant improvement the 356-319–675 total from last week’s Blue River Classic played in rainy and windy conditions.
“The wind blew a little bit harder today compared to yesterday,” Muller said. “We really struggled on the par 3’s today, causing our team score to rise. Overall, we struggled putting the last two days. Our short game will be the focus heading into next week. I thought Ivan (Yabut) played pretty solid both days. Drew (D’Ercole) made five birdies today, but had two double-bogeys that cost him.”
In the season to date, Yabut has been the team’s top performer (season 18-hole average of 79.0 through four rounds). He wound up placing in a tie for 21st out of 69 golfers at the Siouxland Invite while carding a total of 74-78–152 (+10). As the team’s No. 2 golfer, D’Ercole cut eight strokes off his total from Monday (83-75–158) and moved up into a tie for 31st on the individual leaderboard.
The Bulldogs entered two groupings (nine total golfers) into the tournament. In addition to Yabut and D’Ercole, the ‘A’ team included Jayden Neal (79-84–163; T-43rd), Landon Walkenhorst (78-85–163; T-43rd) and Nate Auffet (84-84–168; T-51st).
The next Concordia grouping of four featured Jacob Woodmancy (83-78–161; T-36th), Jack Williams (83-80–163; T-43rd), Taylor Johnson (84-84–168; T-51st) and Harrison Helmer (88-86–174; T-58th).
The Siouxland Invite included golfers from six GPAC opponents: Briar Cliff, Dordt, Hastings, Morningside, Mount Marty and Northwestern. Northwestern-St. Paul also participated in the event.
The Bulldogs now look forward to the Ottawa University Fall Invite next Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 21-22) at Eagle Bend Golf Course in Lawrence, Kan. Action is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT both days.
New season low set on first day of Ottawa Invite
LAWRENCE, Kan. – It was a good day to go low. The Concordia University Men’s Golf team carded a season best score of 304 on Monday (Sept. 21) while in action at the Ottawa Fall Invitational, which is being held at Eagle Bend Golf Course in Lawrence, Kan. After round one of two in Lawrence, the Bulldogs find themselves seven strokes out of first place in a tight race at the top.
This marks the third event of the fall season for Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad. Each tournament has been a two-day event. Heading into Tuesday’s action, Concordia sits in fifth place behind Kansas Wesleyan University (297), Park University (298), Metropolitan Community College (299) and Rockhurst University (302).
The team score got a major boost from having three individuals shoot 75 or lower (par 72). Drew D’Ercole and Jayden Neal are both just one stroke off the individual lead after shooting 73s. That score represents a career best for both D’Ercole and Neal. Right on their heels is teammate Ivan Yabut, who turned in a 75 and is tied for 11th place in a field of 64 golfers. The remainder of the lineup included Nate Auffet (83; T-44th) and Landon Walkenhorst (84; T-48th).
Three additional Bulldogs golfed individually: Jack Williams (85; T-51st), Jacob Woodmancy (90; 59th) and Harrison Helmer (93; 61st).
Prior to Monday, Concordia had shot 18-hole team scores of 356, 319, 314 and 321, respectively, through its first four fall rounds. The team total of 304 was the best for the program since shooting a 303 at the Siouxland Invitational a year ago.
Action will resume from Eagle Bend at 8:40 a.m. CT on Tuesday. This will be the final time out before the fall portion of the GPAC Championships take place next Monday-Tuesday (Sept. 28-29) in Elkhorn, Neb.
Four Bulldogs shoot in 70s as team places fifth
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Concordia University Men’s Golf team put together a solid two-day run in Lawrence, Kan. Four Bulldogs shot in the 70s on Tuesday (Sept. 22) in paving the way to a fifth-place team finish (out of nine squads) at the Ottawa Fall Invitational. The two-round tournament unfolded at Eagle Bend Golf Course, which was conducive to low scoring.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad carded a 36-hole total of 304-311–615. Concordia entered the day seven strokes out of first place. It finished 19 strokes behind tournament champion Kansas Wesleyan University.
“We played a lot more consistent in the last two days – a lot more of what we would expect as far as individual and team scores go,” Muller said. “I definitely thought we took a step forward. Drew (D’Ercole) and Jayden (Neal) both finishing in the top 10 was good to see.
“That was our first time (at that course). We practiced on Sunday afternoon and it was definitely a course the guys liked. We’ll look at going down there in the future. It was nice to play with some different guys outside of the GPAC footprint.”
D’Ercole and Neal both either equaled or outperformed their career bests in a single round by shooting 73s on Monday. D’Ercole (73-77–150) and Neal (73-78–151) were neck and neck on the individual leaderboard, which included 64 golfers. D’Ercole placed seventh and Neal 10th. It was the first career top-10 tournament placement for Neal.
Freshman Ivan Yabut just missed the top 10 by carding a two-round score of 75-77–152 (tied for 17th). He was followed in the lineup by Nate Auffet (83-79–162; T-39th) and Landon Walkenhorst (84-84–168; T-51st). Three Bulldogs competed as individuals: Jack Williams (85-79–164; T-44th), Jacob Woodmancy (90-89–179; 59th) and Harrison Helmer (93-95–188; 63rd).
The fall portion of the GPAC Championships are up next. Concordia will be at Indian Creek Golf Course in Elkhorn, Neb., next Monday-Tuesday (Sept. 28-29) for conference action. The Bulldogs placed seventh in the GPAC last season.
GPAC Championships coming Monday-Tuesday for men's golf
SEWARD, Neb. – After three regular-season tournaments, the Concordia University Men’s Golf team now preps for the fall portion of the 2020-21 GPAC Championships. Two rounds of conference action will unfold next Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 28-29) at Indian Creek Golf Course in Elkhorn, Neb. Golf is slated to get underway at 10 a.m. CT both days.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad is six rounds deep into the fall 2020 season. Most recently, the Bulldogs placed fifth out of nine teams at the Ottawa University Fall Invite earlier this week. Concordia put together its best work so far this season by carding a two-round total of 304-311–615 while navigating Eagle Bend Golf Course in Lawrence, Kan. The team 18-hole average currently stands at 320.8. Concordia also competed at the Blue River Classic (356-319–675) and the Siouxland Invitational (314-321–635).
From an individual standpoint, Concordia has had a close competition at the top of the lineup. In terms of season average, the top performing Bulldogs have been Ivan Yabut (78.0), Drew D’Ercole (78.8), Jayden Neal (80.8) and Nate Auffet (82.0). Both D’Ercole and Neal either equaled or re-set their own personal best single-round scores by shooting a 73 in the first round of the Ottawa Invite. D’Ercole placed seventh and Neal finished 10th. D’Ercole (150), Neal (151) and Yabut (152) were each within two strokes of each other at the two-day event.
Concordia will attempt to move up from its seventh place GPAC positioning in 2019-20. Last season, the conference did not hold its spring conference championship rounds due to the pandemic. The conference lineup last season featured Tylar Samek (80-81–161; T-20th), Jayveenrahj Gunaseelan (82-81–163; T-26th), Jack Williams (89-80–169; 38th), D’Ercole (85-87–172; 39th) and Landon Walkenhorst (101-98–199; 51st). The top 15 finishers automatically earn All-GPAC honors.
Following the GPAC Championships, the Bulldogs will close their fall season with the Nebraska Intercollegiate at Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb., Oct. 9-10. The spring 2021 schedule is yet to be announced.
Concordia in ninth after round one of GPAC Championships
ELKHORN, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Golf team has work to do at the conclusion of the first round of the GPAC Men’s Golf Championships. The Bulldogs carded a score of 342 in Monday (Sept. 28)’s action that took place at Indian Creek Golf Course in Elkhorn, Neb. Concordia had three previous two-day tournaments this fall to prep for the most significant event of the semester.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad stands in ninth place in the conference standings, putting it above Hastings and Mount Marty. Morningside owns the team lead thanks to a 295 on Monday.
The Bulldogs have hopes of moving up from their seventh-place positioning in the GPAC last season. Drew D’Ercole put together the team’s best round on Monday by carding an eight-over-par 80. He is currently tied for 23rd on an individual leaderboard that includes 54 golfers. The other three individuals who counted towards the Concordia team score were Jack Williams (85; T-38th), Ivan Yabut (87; T-41st) and Jayden Neal (90; T-45th). Nate Auffet totaled a 93.
Indian Creek is the same site of the two rounds of the GPAC Championships that took place last fall. Concordia turned in a 36-hole score of 336-329–665 a year ago. D’Ercole and Williams also made up part of the group of five last season.
The Bulldogs will resume play at Indian Creek at 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday. The third and fourth rounds of the conference championships are slated to be played at Dakota Dunes Country Club in Dakota Dunes, S.D., in the spring of 2021.
Bulldogs remain in ninth after round two of GPAC Championships
ELKHORN, Neb. – From Monday to Tuesday’s (Sept. 28-29) round, the Concordia University Men’s Golf team cut 12 strokes off its total. However, it wasn’t enough to move out of ninth place in the conference leaderboard. That’s where the Bulldogs stand with 36 holes of GPAC Championships action in the books. The first two rounds of conference play were contested at Indian Creek Golf Course in Elkhorn, Neb.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad turned in a two-round total of 342-330–672. The program is coming off a seventh-place GPAC finish in 2019-20.
“We didn’t play as well as a team as we thought we would,” Muller said. “There’s a gap in the standings where we’re at compared to the rest of the pack. I definitely hope it motivates us to work hard and close that gap in the spring season.”
With a good run next spring, Drew D’Ercole could still potentially jump into a top 15 spot required for all-conference honors. He is currently in 28th place (out of 55 GPAC golfers) with a score of 80-82–162. For comparison’s sake, the top individual in the GPAC is Morningside’s Jonny Douglas with his 72-67–139. It took a score of 151 or lower to hold down a top 10 spot in the conference.
The remainder of the Concordia lineup included Jack Williams (85-84–169; T-38th), Jayden Neal (90-83–173; T-42nd), Ivan Yabut (87-86–173; T-42nd) and Nate Auffet (93-81–174; T-44th). Of the five Bulldogs who competed at the conference championships, D’Ercole and Williams owned previous GPAC tournament experience having played in the event last year.
Before packing up the clubs for the remainder of the fall semester, the Bulldogs are scheduled to compete at the Nebraska Intercollegiate next Friday and Saturday (Oct. 9-10) at Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb. Dates for the spring GPAC Championships have not yet been announced, but the final two rounds will be held at Dakota Dunes Country Club in Dakota Dunes, S.D.
Bulldogs card 313 on first day of Nebraska Intercollegiate
NORFOLK, Neb. – Bragging rights within the state of Nebraska are on the line this weekend at the annual Nebraska Intercollegiate. In Friday (Oct. 9)’s first round, the Concordia University Men’s Golf team shot a score of 313. The event is being staged at Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb., and will continue with the final round on Saturday.
Head Coach Brett Muller traveled two teams of five to Norfolk. Concordia’s first team is currently in fourth place behind Bellevue (282), Nebraska Wesleyan (296) and Doane (300). The second grouping of Bulldogs shot a score of 330.
Four of the 10 Concordia players shot scores in the 70s (par 72 course) on Friday. On the Bulldog ‘A’ team, Drew D’Ercole (74; T-8th), Ivan Yabut (76; T-12th) and Jayden Neal (78; T-18th) led the way. In addition, Jacob Woodmancy turned in a 79 (T-21st). The tournament field features 45 individual golfers.
Other Concordia individuals at the Nebraska Intercollegiate include Gavin McWhorter (80; T-24th), Landon Walkenhorst (85; T-33rd), Jack Williams (85; T-33rd), Harrison Helmer (86; T-35th) and Nate Auffet (87; T-38th). This marked the second time this fall that the Bulldogs enjoyed a day in which four or more individuals shot scores in the 70s.
Concordia was coming off the GPAC Men’s Golf Championship that was played Sept. 28-29. The Bulldogs are currently in ninth place in the conference standings. The fall season will come to an end on Saturday with the second round of the Nebraska Intercollegiate. Action will begin with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. CT from Norfolk.
D'Ercole claims top 10 finish as fall season concludes
NORFOLK, Neb. – The fall season is now in the books for the Concordia University Golf programs. The men had one last fall outing while taking part in this weekend’s (Oct. 9-10) Nebraska Intercollegiate tournament. The event was staged at Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb., and featured five different Nebraska institutions and 45 individual golfers. The highlight for the Bulldogs was delivered by Drew D’Ercole, who placed eighth.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s ‘A’ grouping carded a two-round score of 313-329–642 and placed sixth out of eight squads (three schools entered two teams, including Concordia).
“I’m really proud of the way Drew finished off the fall season,” Muller said. “He was disappointed with the way he played at GPAC last week. He played with a lot of confidence the last two days. Another highlight from the last two days was Jacob Woodmancy. He played very well tee to green and finished the fall strong.”
A native of Papillion, Neb., D’Ercole entered the weekend with a season 18-hole average of 79.4. He outperformed that figure by shooting a two-round score of 74-75–149 at the Nebraska Intercollegiate. He finished eight strokes in back of the tournament champion, Hugo Ronnberg of Bellevue. The Bruins were also the winner of the tournament team title.
Woodmany was the next best Bulldog with a score of 79-76–155. He placed 18th individually while starring for Concordia’s ‘B’ team. On the first grouping of Bulldogs, D’Ercole was followed by Jayden Neal (78-83–161; 25th), Ivan Yabut (76-87–163; T-28th), Nate Auffet (87-84–171; 35th) and Jack Williams (85-87–172; T-36th).
On the ‘B’ team, Woodmancy was trailed by Gavin McWhorter (80-86–166; 31st), Tyler Bartels (92-83–175; T-40th), Harrison Helmer (86-90–176; 42nd) and Landon Walkenhorst (85-94–179; 43rd).
Concordia Men’s Golf competed in five tournaments (10 total rounds) this fall. The Bulldogs will enter the spring of 2021 in ninth place in the GPAC standings. The spring schedule has not yet been announced. The final 36 holes of conference action are set to be played at Dakota Dunes Country Club in Dakota Dunes, S.D., on dates to be determined.