They may be new to the team, but lately, it is two freshmen leading the Gophers on the golf course.
Freshmen Jack Crousore and Chun-Ta Wu paved the way for their team the past three tournaments, helping the Gophers score in the top 20 for three weekends in a row.
Crousore made a statement at the Pay it Forward Collegiate, carding a personal best 18-hole score of 66. Crousore wrapped up the tournament with a score of 3-under par, resulting in a 15th-place finish.
Wu made his presence known early on by dropping eight birdies during the 54-hole event and finishing 3-over for a 34th-place finish.
The duo’s performance showed how the future of Gophers golf is already making an impact.
Head coach Justin Smith showed excitement for the potential of the freshman recruits.
“I am so excited for the future of our program,” Smith said.
With just 10 guys on the roster, the Gophers have built a family-like team culture.
That close-knit environment has been the perfect setting for freshmen like Crousore and Wu, who are surrounded by teammates who challenge and support them as they chase their dreams of going pro.
“The team culture is unbelievable, at the end of the day we all have aspirations to go pro and there is no way to succeed by yourself,” Wu said.
With the relationships he has built within the team, Wu has been motivated to not only play for himself but his teammates.
Crousore also embraced the role as a young key contributor, excited to continue to develop over his career at Minnesota.
“It feels really cool to be able to come in here and play my way into that role this second semester, it is really cool for us because we have three more years of this,” Crousore said.
Coming in as freshman leaders continues to be an exciting experience for Crousore and Wu, both enthused about what it could mean for the future of the program.
“I feel like it is a really good opportunity for the program to develop around some young guys to make a run at Big Tens and regionals,” Crousore said.
With both tournaments coming up, neither Crousore nor Wu has any plans of slowing down as they set their sights on some big goals.
Currently ranked 440th in the nation, Wu is focused on climbing into the top 200 over the next few tournaments, while Crousore is setting his sights on making a statement at the Big Ten Championships.
“I for sure want to be in the hunt at Big Tens,” Crousore said. “I would love to finish in the top 15 at Big Tens, and get inside the top 400 on Clippd rankings.”
