The men’s golf team competed in and won the Bobby Krig Invitational on April 22-23. 

After the first day of the tournament, the Blugolds led with a score of 296 points. Carson Brock, a third-year business administration and organizational communication student, earned 72 points on the first day of the Invitational, tying him for the No. 2 spot. 

Cole Jahnke, a fifth-year marketing student, and Nick Amtmann, a second-year finance student, tied for no. 4 on the first day. Both players were two over par and scored 73 points, according to blugolds.com. 

According to Jahnke, the weather made this a challenging tournament and season for the Blugolds. 

“It was beyond cold,” Jahnke said. “The hardest part of playing golf in these conditions is having to swing a golf club while wearing layers upon layers of clothes. On top of that, you have to stay outside for five to six hours during these tournaments.” 

Jahnke is a two-time All-American athlete with the no. 4 top-scoring average in UW-Eau Claire history, according to blugolds.com. 

Despite the difficulties faced over the weekend, the team was able to power through the poor weather conditions, according to head men’s golf coach Darrin Skinner. 

“We are all in the midst of development,” Skinner said. “One of the main things in golf is architecture. We have been working on being able to shoot lower scores at different courses and making good decisions.” 

The team was able to keep their lead during the second day of the tournament, finishing the weekend one stroke ahead of St. John’s University with a score of 593 points, according to blugolds.com. 

“This tournament was our third win of the season,” Skinner said. “College golf wins are not extremely common because you have to win against 12 to 15 other teams. It was an exciting weekend for the guys.” 

According to blugolds.com, Amtmann was the team’s top scorer individually, at three over par and earning 71 points during the round on Sunday. Amtmann placed No. 2 overall. Brock tied for No. 4 at four over par. He earned 71 points on Sunday. 

“We have a much deeper team than we’ve ever had in the past,” Skinner said. “It has been exciting to watch how much the team and these golfers have grown during their time here.” 

The team’s success can be attributed to their determination and grit during practices and tournaments, according to Jahnke. 

“Spring golf is all about keeping your head down and pushing forward,” Jahnke said. “It can be hard to stay motivated when you’re out there playing through wind, rain and snow, but we know what we have to do and I think that’s what helped us get it done this week.”

The team is excited to see what their last tournament has in store. They hope to end the season with two wins, according to Jahnke. 

The Blugolds will compete in their final tournament of the Spring golf season on April 29-30 at the St. John’s Spring Invitational. 

Allessi can be reached at [email protected].