Golf begins spring at Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 13-15

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MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University men's golf team opens its spring season on Feb. 13-15 in the Puerto Rico Classic at Grand Reserve Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

THE EVENT
The Golden Eagles find themselves in a 13-team field alongside Georgia, Ole Miss, Maryland, College of Charleston, East Tennessee State, Oklahoma, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan State and tournament-host Purdue. The par-72 course will play at 7,506 yards with one round each day from Sunday-Tuesday. The individual medalist of the event will receive an invitation to the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open from March 3-6.

Marquette tied with Iowa for 10th place at 2-over par in its most recent appearance in the Puerto Rico Classic in 2020, the last event the Golden Eagles competed in before COVID shut down the rest of the season. Last year's event was canceled due to the on-going pandemic.

THE COURSE
Designed by PGA Tour professional Tom Kite, the 18-hole, par-72 course overlooks El Yunque U.S. National Forest and features seashore paspalum grass, white silica sand bunkers and variety of difficult water hazards. Grand Reserve offers three sets of tees with the back tees playing over 7,500 yards and the front tees playing at 5,345 yards.

Along with the Championship course, Grand Reserve features the International course as well. The Championship course frequently hosts the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open and Tony Finau, Viktor Hovland and Alex Cejka all earned their maiden Tour wins there. The course was also rated the No. 1 course in Puerto Rico by Golf Digest in 2020.

THE LINEUP
Nos. 1-5: Hunter Eichhorn, Max Lyons, Tyler Leach, Aidan Lafferty, Nicolás Evangelio
INDIVIDUAL: Bhoom Sima-Aree

Eichhorn finished off a strong fall season with top-five finishes at both the Windon Memorial Classic and Rich Harvest Farms Intercollegiate. He also led MU in the fall's final event at the Purdue Fall Invitational at Kampen Golf Course before taking part once again in The Patriot All-America Invitational over Christmas break. Eichhorn led going into the final day of the star-studded event and finished third with a 11-under-par final score. He is a four-time all-region selection and is in search of his third BIG EAST individual crown this spring.

Eichhorn owns a best finish of 17th in the event (+3, 216) in 2018 with a 54-hole low score in 2019 of a 1-under 215 (T21). He has recorded individual rounds of 2-under par in each of the three Puerto Rico Classics in which he has participated.

Freshman Max Lyons burst onto the scene early in the fall by leading the MU lineup in each of the first two events and ended the fall slate as MU's No. 2 at the Purdue Fall Invitational.

Tyler Leach, MU's No. 3, competed in the Puerto Rico Classic in both 2019 and 2020, was was Marquette's fourth finisher both times.

Then-freshman Aidan Lafferty was MU's low-man in the event in 2020, recording a 4-under-par 212 that included three rounds of par-or-better with 2-under 70s in both the first and final rounds. He was named the BIG EAST Conference Male Golfer of the Week on Feb. 20, 2020 for that performance.

UP NEXT
The Golden Eagles have a month off from competition following the event in Puerto Rico and do not return to action until March 14-15 in Appalachian State's Bash at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at Surf Golf & Beach Club.

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).