Mickelson Sets Husker Freshman Record in Michigan

Caden Mickelson opened his Nebraska men's golf career with a school freshman-record 207 (-9) over 54 holes to tie for 12th individually and lead the Huskers to a sixth-place team finish at the season-opening Resort Island Invitational in Bark River, Mich., on Monday.

Mickelson's 207 was two strokes better than current Husker sophomore Brodie Cunningham, who set the freshman tournament record with a 209 (-7) at the Bell Bank "Pay It Forward" Collegiate last season at the Wigwam Golf Club in Litchfield Park, Ariz. (March 24-25).

A freshman out of Liberty North High School in the Kansas City, Mo., metro area, Mickelson closed the tournament with back-to-back rounds of 67 on the 7,375-yard layout at the Sage Run Golf Club. His totals were just one shot off the school freshman record for best round held by four golfers, including Cunningham.

Mickelson's effort highlighted a strong all-around showing by Nebraska, which featured all six golfers shooting better than par over 54 holes. 

Sophomore Jackson Benge, an Omaha Westside grad, unleashed a collegiate career-best 210 (-6), including a career-best 67 (-5) in the second round. He added a final-round 70 (-2) to finish in a five-way tie for 23rd in the 84-player field.

Junior Rudy Sautron added a tie for 31st at 212 (-4), including a final-round 69 (-3). He shot a 71 (-1) in Sunday's second round after opening the season with an even-par 72.

Redshirt junior Evan McDermott, a Michigan native, contributed a 213 (-3) to tie teammate Quinn Yost for 35th. Yost, a senior from Albuquerque, N.M., who was playing as an individual outside the Husker lineup, matched McDermott with a final-round 70 (-2) on Monday. Yost also tied his collegiate career best with a 68 (-4) in the second round.

Cunningham rounded out the Husker contingent with a 214 (-2), including a final-round 71 (-1). Cunningham wrapped up Nebraska's tournament with the first Husker eagle of the season on the 635-yard, par-5 18th hole.

As a team, Nebraska put up its best team total in 20 years with an 838, including a 275 (-13) in the second round and a 276 (-12) in Monday's final round, after opening the tournament with a 287 (-1). Nebraska's 838 (-26) trailed only a school-record 837 at the 1998-99 Ram Collegiate in Fort Collins, Colo., and the 2005-06 Ron Moore Invitational in Goodyear, Ariz. The Big Red's second-round 275 was also just one stroke off a school-record 274 at the 2023 Tiger Collegiate in Columbia, Mo.

Despite Nebraska's impressive scoring, the Huskers could not keep pace with an amazing 809 (-55) from the tournament champions from West Virginia. The Mountaineers opened with a 266 (-22) and never looked back, closing with rounds of 270 (-18) and 273 (-15). West Virginia defeated second-place Purdue by six strokes, as the Boilermakers closed at 815 (-49), including a second-round 264 (-24) for the best round by any team in the tournament.

Michigan took third at 822 (-42), including a final-round 267 (-21), while Michigan State finished fourth at 832 (-32), including a final-round 273 (-15). St. Mary's (Calif.) held off the Huskers on Monday to finish in fifth at 836 (-22), as Nebraska cut nine strokes off the Gaels' lead in the final round.

West Virginia's Ryan Leach took medalist honors with a 199 (-17), including an opening-round 63 (-9) followed by a 65 (-7) in Sunday's first two rounds. He held off teammate Kaleb Wilson by just one stroke, after Wilson closed the tournament with a final-round 64 (-8) to finish at 200 (-16). A third Mountaineer, Nicholas Turowski tied for third at 201 (-15), including scores of 66 (-6) in the first and third rounds.

The hosts from South Dakota State also produced a highlight, as Tyler Seeling uncorked an NCAA-record-tying 60 (-12) in Sunday's second round. Seeling, who recorded back-to-back eagles on the par-4 eighth hole and the par-5 ninth hole, added a third eagle on No. 12 in producing the best individual round in the tournament. Seeling, who previously held the SDSU record with a 65 at the 2025 Summit League Championship, opened and closed with rounds of 73 (+1) to finish outside the top 10 at 206 (-10) just one shot ahead of Mickelson.

Nebraska returns to action at the Gopher Invitational at the Windsong Farm Golf Club in Independence, Minn. (Sept. 7-8).

Island Resort Intercollegiate
Aug. 31-Sept. 1, 2025
Bark River, Michigan
Sage Run Golf Club (Par 72, 7,375 Yards)

Final Team Results
1. West Virginia - 266-270-273=809 (-55)
2. Purdue - 277-264-274=815 (-49)
3. Michigan - 281-274-267=822 (-42)
4. Michigan State - 282-277-273=832 (-32)
5. St. Mary's (Calif.) - 280-271-285=836 (-28)
6. Nebraska - 287-275-276=838 (-26)
7. UCF - 288-270-284=842 (-22)
8. Illinois State - 286-283-276=845 (-19)
9. UTEP - 281-282-283=846 (-18)
10. South Dakota State - 290-272-291=853 (-11)
11. Ball State - 289-285-287=861 (-3)
12. Miami (Ohio) - 286-285-291=862 (-2)

Final Individual Results
1. Ryan Leach, West Virginia - 63-65-71=199 (-17)
2. Kaleb Wilson, West Virginia - 69-67-64=200 (-16)
T3. Andre Zhu, Purdue - 68-65-68=201 (-15)
T3. Nicholas Turowski, West Virginia - 66-69-66=201 (-15)
T3. McCoy Biagioli, Michigan State - 67-69-65=201 (-15)
T6. Sam Easterbrook, Purdue - 71-66-67=204 (-12)
T6. Dylan Teeter, UTEP - 67-71-66=204 (-12)
T8. RJ Arone, Michigan - 70-70-65=205 (-11)
T8. Samuel Baumuller, St. Mary's (Calif.) - 68-65-72=205 (-11)
T8. TJ Barger, Illinois State - 71-66-68=205 (-11)

Nebraska Golfers
T12. Caden Mickelson - 73-67-67=207 (-9) - Nebraska Freshman Record
T23. Jackson Benge - 73-67-70=210 (-6)
T31. Rudy Sautron - 72-71-69=212 (-4)
*T35. Quinn Yost - 75-68-70=213 (-3)
T35. Evan McDermott - 69-74-70=213 (-3)
T40. Brodie Cunningham - 73-70-71=214 (-2)

*competed as an individual outside Nebraska's lineup