WILLMAR, Minn. - Even non-golfers get the golfing itch come Master's week, so it's probably a good thing that the University of Northwestern Men's Golf team will be satisfying what surely is an insatiable itch to get out on the course by playing in the UMAC Spring Event this weekend. Previously a match play event, the scoring has been modified this year to a two-man best ball, Stableford format (explanation here). For those unfamiliar, "best ball" is when both teammates play their own ball, and the team records the lowest of the two scores each hole. All UMAC teams are participating in the event and the teams have been split up into two flights: "Icy Blue" and "Maroon."

Day One

In the "Icy Blue" flight, the brotherly tandem of Luke Frazell (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) and Noah Frazell (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) paced the Eagles with a score of 40, which is just one point shy of the day-one leaders from UW-Superior. Two more teams of Eagles are tied for fifth with 36 points: Carter Dilly (Henning, Minn./Henning)/Trevor Zenk (Forest Lake, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy), and Jakob Swanson (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview)/Andrew Carlson (Mosinee, Wis./Mosinee). Another pair of Northwestern teams are next to each other on the leaderboard as well--Jackson Courteau (Otsego, Minn./Rogers) and Carson Mersberger (Kiel, Wis./Elkhart Lake-Glenbeaulah) sit in a tie for 12th at 34 points, while "Team Carson" (Carson Moscoso (Maple Grove, Minn./Maranatha Christian Academy) and Carson Besonen (Madison, Minn./Lac qui Parle Valley)) are one point back with 33.

Due to the number of participating players, UNW's Dawson Burke (Rogers, Minn./Maple Grove) was paired with Ashton Stansfield from North Central, and the pair tallied 30 points. In the "Maroon" flight, the Northwestern tandem of Noah Carlson (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) and Tanner McNamee (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) put up 36 points to take a big lead on the rest of the field, which did not include any more Eagles.

The Eagles will be back at Eagle Creek Golf Club for the second and final day of the event on Saturday, with tee times beginning at 8:33 AM.

Day Two

It's safe to call day two of the UMAC Spring Event a success for the UNW Men's Golf team. All but one of the Eagles' seven teams had a score as goof or better than Friday's. Interestingly enough, the one team that did not was Northwestern's top finisher in the Icy Blue flight, Team Frazell. The brothers from Waverly, Iowa were only one point shy of yesterday's 40, which placed them second on the podium, one point back of the winners from Martin Luther. UNW's best score of the day came from Courteau and Mersberger, who shot up the leaderboard with a 42 to finish in third place with a two-day total of 76. Their 42 was tied for the high score of the round and tournament.

Also improving, to finish in seventh place with a two-round tally of 73, were Dilly and Zenk, who improved on Friday's 36 with a 37 on Saturday. Swanson and Andrew Carlson (Mosinee, Wis./Mosinee) stayed steady with another 36 to tie for eighth place at 72, and Team Carson (Moscoso and Besonen) put up a 35 to finish in 12th at 68. Burke and his teammate from North Central mirrored yesterday's 30 with another today to finish with a 60. Already with a commanding lead in the Maroon flight, Noah Carlson (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) and McNamee lengthened their margin even more with a 37 on Saturday to finish at 73 total and win the flight by nine strokes.

Up Next

Northwestern will swiftly head to Lincoln, Nebraska to participate in the Howl at the Hill event at Hillcrest Country Club.