The men’s golf team will finish its fall season on the road this Sunday and Monday at the Duke Invitational in Durham, N.C. The 15-team tournament includes a list of tough southern schools along with Northwestern. This will be the Gophers’ first appearance at the Duke Invitational.
Gophers coach John Means expects only the best from his team.
“This tournament (Duke Invitational) has a very strong field,” Means said. “Duke will be good at home, but every team in the field we have faced before and can beat. We’re going into it expecting to win.”
Means said he expects his team to complete the fall season with a strong tournament. Two weeks ago, the Gophers finished a disappointing fourth, at the Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich. Last year, Minnesota won the tournament.
“Michigan was a disappointing tournament for us,” Means said. “The weather was good, but we didn’t putt well. We did hit the ball well though, we are a good striking team.”
The Gophers have placed in the top five in all three of its fall tournaments. Its success comes from a balanced attack, with several Gophers finishing consistently in the top 25.
Senior captain Mark Halverson leads the team with a 72.1 stroke average. He is followed by junior All-American Robb Kerr with a 72.3, freshman Martin Le Mesurier at 74.0, and sophomore Bill Thompson at 74.4.
These four players have started in all three tournaments with three different individuals starting in the top five positions.
“We are mentally strong,” Means said. “We are right there. We will win a tournament this year.”