Huskers Tee Off Spring Season at Big Ten Match Play Championshps

Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska Men's Golf team will return to the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla., for the 2020 Big Ten Match Play Championship this Friday and Saturday to open up the competitive 2020 season. 

The 13 participating Big Ten teams were seeded based on Golfstat rankings. Nebraska drew the 13th seed and will face off against the fourth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday morning at 7 a.m. CT. If Nebraska wins, they will play the winner of Michigan State/Wisconsin in the Quarterfinals at 12 p.m. CT on Friday. If Nebraska loses, they will also play at 12 p.m. CT on Friday, but will face the loser of Michigan State/Wisconsin in the Consolation Quarterfinals. The Huskers finished fourth at the Big Ten Match Play Championships in 2019, going 2-2 in the tournament. 

Nebraska's lineup for their match against Ohio State will be senior Tanner Owen, junior Branden Meyer, junior Tom Westenberger, junior Mark Foelbaek, sophomore Caleb Badura and junior Daniel Pearson. Pearson will be making his first appearance for the 2019-20 season and this will mark his first competitive round since Oct. 16, 2018 at the Quail Valley Collegiate Invite, where he shot a 227 (+11) to tie for 66th. 

Scouting Ohio State

Ohio State comes into the Big Ten Match Play Championships ranked 56th by Golfstat. The Buckeyes are the reigning Big Ten Match Play Champions, securing their best result since a third-place finish in 2011. 

As a team, Ohio State's scoring average is 292.22, with their best finish coming at the Crooked Stick Invitational, where the Buckeyes placed fifth with a 295 (+7). The Buckeyes best score came at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invite, where they fired an 873. Ohio State faced Florida State in match play at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational, falling 2.5-3.5 on Oct. 8.

The Buckeyes are led by senior graduate transfer Felix Kvarnstrom. Kvarnstrom leads the team with a 72.78 scoring average. His best finish to date occurred at the Inverness Collegiate, where he shot a season-low 214 (+1) to tie for fourth.

Huskers Looking to Improve Off of Fall Season

Nebraska comes into the spring season after competing in four tournaments this past fall. Nebraska's best finish came at the Prairie Club Invitational, where they tied for fifth with a score of 901. Their best score came at the Rod Meyers/Duke Invitational, where they fired a three-round score of 896.

The Huskers will need to look to their newcomers this spring as 45 out of the 60 total rounds played in the fall season were completed by players who were new to the team for the 2019-2020 season.

Senior Tanner Owen led the way for the Huskers in the fall, competing in all four tournaments with a 74.50 scoring average. Owen had his best-ever finish as a Husker at the Prairie Club Invitational, where he finished third while firing a 217 (-2).

Junior Branden Meyer will strive to continue improving in his first season as a Husker. Meyer was the only other Husker to compete in all four tournaments and ended the fall season second on the team in scoring average with a 75.58. His best finish also came at the Prairie Club Invitational, where he tied for a season best 224 (+5) to tie for 11th. 

Newcomers Mark Foelbaek, Caleb Badura and Tom Westenberger each played in three tournaments this fall. Westenberger owned the best scoring average of the trio (76.55), with his best finish coming at the Maridoe Intercollegiate, where he tied for 14th competing in a talent-laden field.

Badura finished fourth on the team in scoring average with mark of 77.44 strokes per round. Foelbaek was right behind Badura with an average of 78.44.

Freshman Will Marshall played in two tournaments in the fall. His best finish came at the Maridoe Intercollegiate, where he finished tied for 45th, but was in the Top 10 after firing a first round score of 73 (+1). 

Big Ten Match Play Championship

Friday, Feb. 7 – Saturday, Feb. 8

Palm Coast, Fla. – Ocean Course – Conservatory Course

Live scoring: http://golfstat.com/

TV: BTN, Sunday March 1 at 9:30 a.m. CT

Round 1:

Nebraska vs. Ohio State

Friday, Feb. 7

7 a.m CT

Ocean Course

Round 2:

If Nebraska wins: NU will play the winner of Michigan State/Wisconsin at 12 p.m. CT in the quarterfinals.

If Nebraska loses: NU will play the loser of Michigan State/Wisconsin at 12 p.m. CT in the consolation quarterfinals.

Championship Bracket:

Friday, Feb. 8 – First Round (18 holes) starting at 7 a.m. CT

Friday, Feb. 8 – Quarterfinals (18 holes) starting at 12 p.m. CT

Saturday, Feb. 9 – Semifinals (18 holes) starting at 7 a.m. CT

Saturday, Feb. 9 – Finals (18 holes) starting at 12 p.m. CT

Saturday, Feb. 9 – 3rd Place Match (18 holes) starting at 12 p.m. CT

Consolation Bracket:

Friday, Feb. 8 – Cons. Quarterfinals (18 holes) starting at 12 p.m. CT

Saturday, Feb. 9 – Cons. Semifinals (18 holes) starting at 7 a.m. CT

Saturday, Feb. 9 – 5th Place Match (18 holes) starting at 12 p.m. CT

Saturday, Feb. 9 – 7th Place Match (18 holes) starting at 12 p.m. CT

The Field:

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Maryland

Michigan

Michigan State

Minnesota

Nebraska

Northwestern

Ohio State

Penn State

Purdue

Rutgers

Wisconsin

Nebraska Lineup:

Tanner Owen

Branden Meyer

Tom Westenberger

Mark Foelbaek

Caleb Badura

Daniel Pearson

How to Follow Along:

Make sure to follow along on Twitter @HuskersGolf for updates throughout the weekend. Live scoring will be provided on http://golfstat.com/.