HUNTLEY, Ill. – The University of Northwestern Men's Golf team is participating in its most important tournament of the season to-date this week, teeing it up at the NCCAA North Central Regional. The two-day tournament is being played at Whisper Creek Golf Club and the winning team will earn an automatic bid to next month's NCCAA National Championship in Palm Coast, Florida. Additionally, the lowest-scoring individual that is not on the winning team will also earn an auto-bid to nationals. UNW's Shane Seiffert (Corcoran, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) earned the individual bid last year. To follow along with live scoring, click here, create an account, click the green circle with a "+" and enter code XMMMDD.
 
Day One
 
Through one round of competition, the Northwestern men sit in third place with a score of 313 (+25), seven shots behind leader Bethel (Indiana). The Eagles were led by Shane Seiffert (Corcoran, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) who is in second place after shooting a 73 (+1) with birdies on holes five and 18. He is currently the lowest individual not on Bethel and is two shots ahead of third place. Carson Besonen (Madison, Minn./Lac qui Parle Valley) was UNW's only other player in the 70's, as he made three birdies on his way to a score of 78 (+6) and is tied for 10^th.
 
Carson Mersberger (Kiel, Wis./Elkhart Lake-Glenbeaulah) made his 2025 debut in the starting five on Monday and shot an 80 (+8) with three birdies, tying him for 16^th entering the final round. Luke Frazell (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock), who was named NCCAA Men's Golf Student-Athlete of the Week just minutes after Monday's round concluded, posted an 82 (+10) with birdies on holes one and 11 to finish off Northwestern's scoring. Jakob Swanson (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) turned in an 87 (+15) to close out the opening-18 holes.
 
Play at Whisper Creek will conclude Tuesday, with region champions being crowned and tickets bring punched to the 2025 NCCAA National Championship.
 
Day Two
 
With 18 holes to play, UNW needed all hands on deck to rally and chase down Bethel for the team crown. That is exactly what happened, as the Eagles surged from behind to shoot an impressive 290 (+2) and win by nine strokes, a 16-stroke swing, and punch their tickets for the NCCAA National Championship next month in Florida. This is the fifth time the Northwestern men have qualified for the event as a team, with the last time coming in 2018. Team captain Shane Seiffert (Corcoran, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) stepped up when his team needed him most, posting the only red number in the field on Tuesday with a 70 (-2) to finish -1 for the tournament and win medalist honors by one shot. After double-bogeying his opening hole (10), Seiffert went on to card six birdies, including four in a five-hole stretch.
 
Carson Besonen (Madison, Minn./Lac qui Parle Valley) rebounded with a 73 (+1) on Tuesday, birdieing holes four and 18 to tie for fifth place at +7. Luke Frazell (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) was much-improved in the final round as well, using three birdies to turn in a 75 (+3), seven shots better than Monday, and tie for 14^th at +13. Jakob Swanson (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) took the biggest leap from Monday to Tuesday, improving by 15 shots and firing an even-par 72 to close out the tournament tied in the 18^th spot. Tuesday's UMAC Men's Golf Player of the Week posted birdies on holes one, six and 18 to finish at +15 for the week. Carson Mersberger (Kiel, Wis./Elkhart Lake-Glenbeaulah) tied for 26^th after an 82 (+10) in the final round for a total of +18.
 
Up Next
 
The champs will be on the road again later this week when they take on the Midwest Region Classic at Brighton Dale Links in Kansasville, Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday.