Golf looks to defend BIG EAST crown on April 26-28

Live Results | Marquette Lineup (PDF)

MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University men's golf team looks to defend its title at the 2021 BIG EAST Men's Golf Championship, presented by JEEP, on April 26-28 at Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green, Florida.

THE EVENT
The 54-hole event will take place at the Streamsong Blue Course with 10 squads competing for the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship. Marquette is the reigning champion, having claimed the team title at the 2019 BIG EAST Championship at Callawassie Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The 2020 event was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Marquette is looking to claim its fifth BIG EAST title, after previously having won in 2008, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Live scoring will be available through Golfstat.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Head coach Steve Bailey: "We really have prepared for these moments every day that we've teed it up. Our hope is that we've put our guys in position to be ready for these moments. This is no different than the first round of BIG EAST Match Play in the first event we played (this spring).

"In the back of their minds it is a moment they all look forward to, but when it comes down to it we are trying to hit the best shot that is in front of us. I think that is what championship teams do. They don't think too much peripherally, they try to keep all their focus on what is right in front of them to be where their feet are. That is something we've stressed to the guys – and obviously Hunter (Eichhorn) and Tyler (Leach) have been there before, they know what to expect. The other guys have played in enough of these events, not particularly this one, but enough to prepare for whatever they are going to face.

Redshirt junior Hunter Eichhorn: "We've been there and competed against some of the best teams in the country. We know what that atmosphere is like. Channeling that and learning from all those experiences will help us this week.

"I think Streamsong sets up very well for our team. It obviously sets up very differently from Callawassie, but I think for us it is a good venue and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do there."

MARQUETTE'S LINEUP
Hunter Eichhorn, Tyler Leach, Nicolás Evangelio, Aidan Lafferty, Josh Robinson
Alternate: Scott Schlader

Eichhorn enters the week as one of the tournament favorites on the men's side, having claimed medalist honors at the 2018 BIG EAST Championship in addition to All-BIG EAST First Team honors as both a freshman and sophomore (awards were not given out last year). As a freshman in 2018, Eichhorn claimed BIG EAST Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors while posting a 2-under 214 on his way to the tournament title. His win propelled him through to the NCAA Bryan Regional, where he tied for 25th with a 3-over par 219. The redshirt junior also tied for 14th at the 2019 BIG EAST event, but was MU's fifth golfer as the Golden Eagles claimed their fourth team championship.

This season, Eichhorn has led Marquette at its last four events with a pair of top-five finishes and eight rounds of par-or-better. He is in search of his second BIG EAST crown and fifth tournament win overall.

Marquette's No. 2, Tyler Leach, is the only other individual to have competed previously at the BIG EAST event, with a seventh-place finish in 2019 at 3-over par. He was MU's third finisher as a freshman and put together a very successful sophomore campaign last year, highlighted by his first medalist honors at the Crooked Stick Invitational in October 2020. Leach was the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2019 and an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection, and went on to earn PING All-Midwest Region honors along with Eichhorn last season.

The Golden Eagles also boast experience in their third, fourth and fifth spots, albeit not BIG EAST Championship experience. Redshirt sophomore transfer Nicolás Evangelio was one of the top golfers at the NAIA level in both 2018-19 and 2019-20 and has finished as MU's No. 2 golfer at a pair of events this season, the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate and The Calusa Cup.

A pair of redshirt freshmen round out MU's lineup in Aidan Lafferty and Josh Robinson, who recorded one of his best collegiate finishes last week at the Hawkeye Invitational with a 3-over 219 to place as MU's No. 2. Lafferty has finished as MU's No. 1 twice in his career, once this season and once as a freshman.

True freshman Scott Schlader will serve as MU's alternate as BIG EAST rules allow coaches to alter their lineups after each round.

Marquette owns match play victories over three of their opponents this weekend. The Golden Eagles defeated UConn, DePaul and Seton Hall in BIG EAST Match Play on Feb. 1-2 in Belleair, Florida to open the season at Pelican Golf Club.

THE COURSE
The Blue Course at Streamsong Resort is the 94th-ranked course in the United States and one of the top in the world. With its multiple elevation changes, fairways navigating wild grasses and deep-water ponds and huge bunkers that roll off of towering sand dunes, Streamsong Blue seems designed by discovery rather than by intention. Created by Renaissance Golf Design's renowned architect Tom Doak–who already has four designs ranked among the top 100 in the world–Streamsong Blue is equally destined for greatness. Streamsong Blue features spectacular terrain, with rises and falls in elevation, and contours that undulate offering some of the most stimulating holes in golf.

"We were fortunate to go to Streamsong a few weeks ago and it is a really cool place," Bailey said. "I think all three of the courses there are ranked in the top 100 in the country. The property itself is similar to an Erin Hills or a Sand Valley, a pretty expansive property and is one that we are familiar with in terms of the layout. Quite a bit different that Callawassie, but we've played enough courses around that are going to prepare us for anything. A lot of the defense is going to be the wind as there are no trees. And we're going to have to make some putts, that is going to be the difference this week."

PREVIOUS INDIVIDUAL FINISHES
Hunter Eichhorn
2019: T-14th (+10, 75-78-73--226)
2018: 1st (-2, 69-73-72--214)

Tyler Leach
2019: 7th (+3, 78-71-70--219)

PREVIOUS BIG EAST TEAM FINISHES
2019: 1st (+8, 303-288-271---872)
2018: 2nd (+25, 290-306-291--884)
2017: 1st (+35, 204-209-286--899)
2016: 4th (+34, 299-293-306--898)
2015: 1st (+33, 304-297-296--897)
2014: 2nd (+28, 295-300-297--892)
2013: 7th (+27, 292-305-294--891)
2012: 8th (+34, 299-301-298--898)
2011: T-7th (+52, 304-303-297--904)
2010: T-9th (+43, 306-288-301--895)
2009: 2nd (-12, 292-287-273--852)
2008: 1st (+10, 291-288-295--874)
2007: 4th (+8, 290-294-288--872)
2006: 3rd (-18, 285-278-283--846)

BIG EAST MEDALISTS - MARQUETTE
2018: Hunter Eichhorn (-2, 69-73-72--214)
2017: Matthew Bachmann (E, 73-71-72--216)
2015: Patrick Sanchez (-1, 73-73-69--215)
2008: Ted Gray (-5, 68-68-75--211)

UP NEXT
The Golden Eagles are competing for the BIG EAST's automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Championship regional rounds, which will be held May 16-19 at various courses around the country.

Keep up with the Marquette men's golf program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteMGolf) and Instagram (@MarquetteMGolf) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteMGolf).