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Badger Invitational
Men’s Golf Opens 2019-20 Campaign at Badger Invitational
9/7/2019 | Men's Golf
Rebels Travel to Madison, Wisconsin To Begin Fall Season
MADISON, Wis. – The Ole Miss men's golf team begins the new 2019-20 season by heading to the Badger Invitational (Sept. 8-10) in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Rebels will compete against the host school Wisconsin, Abilene Christian, Coastal Carolina, Iowa State, Illinois State, Kansas, Nevada, Miami, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Rutgers, South Dakota State, UNCG, Xavier, and Wofford at University Ridge Golf Course (7,294 yards, par 72).
Head coach Chris Malloy will begin his sixth season at the helm of his alma mater. The Rebels have made three straight NCAA Regionals under his guidance, including four in his first five years.
"I know that our guys are looking forward to getting on the road and starting our season," Malloy said. "Just like with any other sport and fall camp, they get tired of seeing the same courses and playing against the same guys. They are ready to get on a new course and face some new competition."
Ole Miss returns seven letterwinners from last year's squad that made the NCAA Stanford Regional, where a trio of freshmen made the starting five in their first postseason. The young core of Rebels will look to make it four straight postseason appearances for Ole Miss this season.
Malloy will be bringing six Rebels to compete at the opening event this weekend in Madison. Jack Gnam will play as the No. 1 golfer, followed by Jackson Suber, Sarut Vongchaisit, Chip Getz and Brody Blackmon. Veeti Mahonen will compete as an individual.
Gnam is coming off a freshman year where he put together two top-20 finishes, including a career-best finish at the SEC Championship, tying for 16th at the difficult Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club. Solid play over the summer earned the Ridgeland, Mississippi, native a spot in the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst.
Suber was tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman Team last season and earned a pair of SEC Freshman of the Week accolades along the way. Only a sophomore, he is one of the most experienced Rebels on the team having played in all 12 tournaments a season ago. The Tampa, Florida, native was second on the team in stroke average (72.09) and had three top-5 finishes.
Vongchaisit tied for 21st at NCAA Stanford Regional in his first postseason event, firing a career-low 66 in the first round en route to a personal-best 54-hole mark of 212. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week twice in the spring, making six of his seven appearances during the championship season.
Getz played in two events last season. The senior made his collegiate debut at the Marquette Invitational in Milwaukee in 2016, finishing top-50. Over his three years as a Rebel, Getz has competed in 10 tournaments.
Blackmon joins Getz as the other upperclassmen in the starting five. The Sulphur Springs, Texas, native tied an Ole Miss Golf Course record with a 64 during qualifying last week. The senior has teed it up in 12 tournaments for the Red and Blue throughout his Ole Miss career.
Mahonen will be making his Rebel debut. The freshman from Finland comes with an impressive amateur golf résumé, including a runner-up showing at the 2019 Finnish National Stroke Play Championship.
The first round begins Sunday morning at 9 a.m. CT. The Rebels will be paired with Iowa State and Wisconsin.
Live scoring will be available through BirdieFire.com.
"This will be a challenge for us as we have not seen this course, and it is all different grass than what we are used to here," Malloy said. "That's exactly why we go, as this is something that could be thrown at us when we get sent to an NCAA Regional site. I look forward to seeing what this young group can do this week."
For all Ole Miss Men's Golf news and information, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMGolf, on Instagram at OleMissMGolf and on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Golf.
Sunday-Monday: Stroke Play –18/18/18 (9 a.m. CT)
Course: University of Wisconsin Golf Course - University Ridge
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Yardage: 7,294 | Par: 72
Live Scoring: BirdieFire.com
Live Tweeting: @OleMissMGolf
2. Jackson Suber, Sophomore
3. Sarut Vongchaisit, Sophomore
4. Chip Getz, Senior
5. Brody Blackmon, Senior
Ind. Veeti Mahonen, Freshman
Coastal Carolina
Iowa State
Illinois State
Kansas
Nevada
Miami
Northern Illinois
Notre Dame
Rutgers
Ole Miss
South Dakota State
UNCG
Xavier
Wisconsin
Wofford
Players Mentioned
