Huskers Hunting for Badger Title

The Nebraska men's golf team put up an outstanding score for the second straight day to climb into second place after 36 holes at the 18-team Badger Invitational in Wisconsin on Monday.

The Huskers produced a 283 (-5) in Monday's second round after opening the tournament with a 282 (-6). They head to Tuesday's final round at 565 (-11). The Big Red nearly cut Florida Gulf Coast's first-round lead in half, as FGCU followed an opening-round 274 (-14) with a 286 (-2) on Monday to sit at 560 (-16). The Huskers are five strokes back of FGCU entering the final round. 

Nebraska surged ahead of third-place Middle Tennessee, which closed the second round at 566 (-10) after a second-round 285 (-3). VCU sits in fourth at 568 (-8) after a strong second-round 280 (-8), while Illinois State rounds out the top five in the team standings at 571 (-5), including an even-par 288 on Monday.

The 18-team Badger Invitational field features six 2023 NCAA Regional qualifiers, including Illinois State, Long Beach State, Marquette, Middle Tennessee, Northern Illinois and the hosts from Wisconsin. The Badgers enter the final round in 14th at 590 (+14), while fellow Big Ten foe Maryland is 18th at 608 (+32).

Huskers Will Marshall, Hamish Murray and Quinn Yost all head to the final round among the individual top 10 with identical 36-hole scores of 141 (-3) to sit in a tie for ninth.

Marshall led Nebraska's performance on Monday with a 68 (-4) that included six birdies and 11 pars on the par-72, 7,271-yard layout at University Ridge Golf Course. The only blemish on the playing card of the fifth-year senior from Elburn, Ill., came with a double bogey on No. 10, after playing the front nine at 32 (-4) with four birdies that included three straight on No. 7, 8 and 9. Marshall quickly bounced back with a birdie on No. 11, before adding his final birdie of the day on No. 16. He vaulted 35 spots up the leader board, after closing the first round in a tie for 44th at 73 (+1).

Murray continued to play solid golf for the second straight round, carding an even-par 72 with three birdies, 12 pars and three bogeys. The junior transfer from Sydney, Australia, has played four of his first five rounds as a Husker at or below par, as he seeks his second consecutive top-10 tournament finish.

Yost matched Murray shot-for-shot for the second straight day, producing an even-par 72 of his own after opening the tournament with a 69 (-3).  Yost, a sophomore from Farmington, N.M., notched 14 pars to go with two birdies and a pair of bogeys on Monday. 

Marshall, Murray and Yost sit four strokes behind tournament leader Veikka Viskari from VCU, who enters the final round at 137 (-7) after rounds of 68 and 69. Zach Little from Central Arkansas sits in second at 138 (-6), while five golfers are tied for third at 139 (-5). 

Husker Harry Crockett added an impressive second round with a 71 (-1) that also included five birdies. Crockett, a junior from Oxted, England, notched a 33 (-3) on the front nine despite a bogey on No. 1 by carding four birdies. He then overcame a double bogey of his own on No. 11 with a birdie on No. 16. Crockett is tied for 46th at 146 (+2) in the 90-player tournament field.

Reed Malleck battled through a roller-coaster round to post a 74 (+2) on Monday. The senior from York registered four birdies and an eagle on No. 16, but also had five bogeys and a triple bogey on No. 4, while managing just seven pars. Malleck's eagle marked the second straight day a Husker eagled No. 16, following the same feat by Crockett on Sunday. Malleck enters the final round tied for 36th at 145 (+1).

In other action, Nebraska's Davis Johnson added an even-par 72 in the final round of the TPC Individual at TPC Wisconsin on Monday. Johnson, who was competing as an individual, closed with a three-round score of 229 (+16) to tie for 20th in a 26-player field.

The Badger Invitational will conclude on Tuesday with the final round beginning with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. (CT). Live scoring will be provided by LeaderboardKing.com.

Badger Invitational
Oct. 1-3, 2023
University Ridge GC (Madison, Wis.)
Par 72, 7,271 Yards

Team Standings (Two Rounds)
1. Florida Gulf Coast - 274-286=560 (-16)
2. Nebraska - 282-283=565 (-11)
3. Middle Tennessee - 281-285=566 (-10)
4. VCU - 288-280=568 (-8)
5. Illinois State - 283-288=571 (-5)
T6. Central Arkansas - 283-290=573 (-3)
T6. Ball State - 294-279=573 (-3)
8. Long Beach State - 282-292=574 (-2)
9. Marquette - 291-290=581 (+5)
10. South Dakota State - 286-296=582 (+6)
T11. Northern Illinois - 290-293=583 (+7)
T11. Eastern Michigan - 288-295=583 (+7)
13. South Alabama - 300-287=587 (+11)
14. Wisconsin - 296-294=590 (+14)
15. Campbell - 290-301=591 (+15)
16. Western Carolina - 299-294=593 (+17)
17. Loyola-Chicago - 308-288=596 (+20)
18. Maryland - 303-305=608 (+32)

Individual Standings (Two Rounds)
1. Veikka Viskari, VCU - 68-69=137 (-7)
2. Zach Little, Central Arkansas - 66-72=138 (-6)
T3. Braxton Kuntz, Ball State - 70-69=139 (-5)
T3. Matt Millar, FGCU - 69-70-139 (-5)
T3. Austin Cherichella, FGCU - 65-74=139 (-5)
T3. Kash Bellar, Ball State - 71-68=139 (-5)
T3. Luke Honner, South Dakota State - 68-71=139 (-5)
8. Mike Barnard, Middle Tennessee - 69-71=140 (-4)
T9. Will Marshall, Nebraska - 73-68=141 (-3)
T9. Hamish Murray, Nebraska - 69-72=141 (-3)
T9. Quinn Yost, Nebraska - 69-72=141 (-3)
T9. Joachim Tegner, Campbell - 68-73=141 (-3)
T9. Tj Barger, Illinois State - 69-72=141 (-3)
T9. Owen Stamper, Middle Tennessee - 69-72=141 (-3)
T9. Mark Stockdale, Central Arkansas - 72-69=141 (-3)
T9. Joshua Hill, South Alabama - 72-69=141 (-3)

Nebraska Individuals
T9. Will Marshall - 73-68=141 (-3)
T9. Hamish Murray - 69-72=141 (-3)
T9. Quinn Yost - 69-72=141 (-3)
T36. Reed Malleck - 71-74=145 (+1)
T46. Harry Crockett - 75-71=146 (+2) 

TPC Individual (TPC Wisconsin)
T20. Davis Johnson - 80-77-82=229 (+13)