AUBURN, Ala. – No. 3 Auburn men's golf will make the trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for its penultimate match of the fall season, the Marquette Invitational hosted by Milwaukee Country Club Oct. 2-3.
"We're looking forward to tackling the challenge that this week presents," Tigers head coach Nick Clinard said. "It's a really special, unique course that none of our guys have ever played before. Different weather conditions paired with the northern grass will require the team to prepare well and adjust on the fly, which are going to be key skills for us if we want to make a deep run in this year's postseason."
Auburn will make its Marquette Invitational debut in the ninth annual edition of the tournament. Tigers assistant coach Chris Williams previously coached on the Golden Eagles staff for the 2020-21 season.
It'll be a six-man squad teeing off for the Orange & Blue this week. Senior Alex Vogelsong, juniors Carson Bacha, J.M. Butler and Ryan Eshleman as well as sophomores Brendan Valdes and Evan Vo will represent Auburn at the event.
Following a season-opening victory at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate and a third-place, 33-under outing at the SEC Fall Preview, the Tigers are tabbed third in both of the national polls. After leading the lineup in both tournaments, Vo was also named the SEC Golfer of the Week.
With a 66.33 stroke average through his six rounds, Vo also ranks second in the conference for the statistic. Valdes (6th), Eshleman (7th) and Bacha (10th) also land inside the league's top-10 for scoring average.
To continue its quest for another team victory, Auburn will have to outplay a 15-team field that includes Cal Poly, RV Charlotte, Howard, Iowa State, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Marquette, Miami, Minnesota, Purdue, Rutgers, South Florida, UC Davis and No. 25 Wisconsin.
All teams will commence play Sunday with 36 holes of action beginning in a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. CT before completing the final 18 on Monday.
After the stint in Wisconsin, the Tigers will head south to close out the fall slate at the Isleworth Collegiate in Orlando, Florida Oct. 23-25.
