United Athletic Conference

Utah Valley's Gabe Lysen has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Golfer of the Week for April 17 to April 23.

 

Lysen, a junior from Kirkland, Wash. (Eastlake HS), tied for third at the PING Cougar Classic in Provo, Utah, firing an 8-under-par 208. After posting a career-best 6-under-par 66 in the second round, he shot a 4-under-par 68 in the final round to move into the top five. On the season, Lysen holds the top stroke average for the Wolverines, shooting 73.66 per round with a pair of top-10 finishes.

 

Other men's nominees: Kansas City's Paul Foulquie tied for 16th-place at the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa City, shooting a 3-under-par 210 with 11 birdies and 35 pars.

 

Defending champion Kansas City was selected as the favorite to win the 2019 Western Athletic Conference men's golf title in a vote of the league's head coaches, who could not vote for their own team.  

 

The Roos received all seven possible first-place votes for a perfect score of 49 points. Grand Canyon picked up the final first place vote to finish second with 41 points. UT Rio Grande Valley was selected third with 34 points. NM State was fourth with 32 points, followed by Seattle U in fifth at 29 points. Utah Valley was selected sixth, followed by Chicago State in seventh. California Baptist is ineligible for the team title due to the transition to NCAA Division I but will enter five golfers as individuals who will be eligible for medalist honors.

 

Kansas City holds the top team stroke average at 287.7 through 27 rounds. Grand CAnyon is  second at 288.8, followed by UT Rio Grande Valley in third at 289.4. Individually, Kansas City's McCain Schellhardt has the top stroke average at 71.3 per round. UTRGV's Alvaro Hernandez is second at 71.5, followed by CBU's Ben Hallam at 71.6. UMKC's Max Catherine is fourth at 71.8, followed by GCU's Filip Lundell ranked fifth at 72.1.

 

It's been a winning 2018-19 around the WAC with four teams and six individuals earning the top spot in several different tournaments. In the fall, NM State won the team title and Mike McGilton won medalist honors at their own Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate. UT Rio Grande Valley took home the team title at the Brooks Invitational, led by medalist Tae Itthiratchia. 

 

The spring has already seen four individual champions as GCU's Filip Lundel won the UC Irvine Invitational, UTRGV's Tennoshin Ogawa won the La Tour Intercollegiate and Chicago State's Austin Dobrescu won the Alabama State Spring Kickoff. The UTRGV men's team also took home the team title at the La Tour Intercollegiate, giving the Vaqueros a pair of wins this season. Most recently, Kansas City's McCain Schellhardt tied for medalist honors to lead the Roos to the team title at the GCU Invitational.

 

California Baptist is the newest member of the Western Athletic Conference as the Lancers begin the four-year transition to NCAA Division I. While CBU will not be eligible to compete for the team title until the 2023 WAC Championship, the Lancers will be able to compete as individuals at the WAC Championship. 

 

The 2018 WAC Men's Golf Championship heads to the Pacific Northwest and Oakbrook Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash. Built in 1966, Oakbrook Golf Club features hundreds of oak trees and immaculate turf conditions. In 2012, Oakbrook opened its doors to the public after 56 years of private operations. Ryan Moore, PGA Tour professional and Tacoma native, brings his knowledge of championship golf to Oakbrook Golf Club through Ryan Moore Golf ownership, to continually improve the golf course and elevate the overall guest experience.