May 2, 2002
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- In search of their fourth-straight Big Ten Championship, Northwestern's men's golf team is readying to play this weekend's Championship at the University of Iowa's Finkbine Golf Course (par-72, 7,002 yards).
The Wildcats are trying to become the first school since 1986 to win four consecutive titles. Ohio State won Big Ten crowns from 1982 to 1986.
Unlike previous years, the Wildcats are not considered one of the heavy favorites to win the Championship. In order to claim a fourth-consecutive title, the Wildcats will have to overcome such teams as Purdue (No. 21), Minnesota (No. 23), Michigan State (No. 27) and Illinois (No. 38), who are all ranked ahead of the 64th-ranked 'Cats in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin index poll.
Sophomore Tom Johnson (Fair Oaks, Calif./Del Campo), last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year, leads NU in stroke average (72.88) and needs a strong outing for the 'Cats to contend. He is trying to follow in the footsteps of All-America Luke Donald, the three-time Big Ten Player of the Year and two-time Championship medalist, who graduated last year. Two other team members from last year's championship team also are back to help re-capture the crown: senior Chris Thayer (Richmond, Va./Godwin) and junior Scott Harrington (Portland, Ore./Jesuit).
Although the Wildcats have not captured a first-place finish in 2002, they still expect to bring home another Big Ten Championship title.
"Obviously, this is a huge weekend for us," says Head Coach Pat Goss. "Not only are we trying to win our fourth-straight championship, but we are also trying to improve our position in our region. If we win the Big Ten Championship, everything is solidified with regards to Regionals. We need our guys to come out and have three solid days of golf."
First-round play begins Friday, May 3 at 8 a.m. The 11 teams will play 36 holes on Friday, 18 on Saturday and 18 on Sunday. Fans can follow the action live at Hawkeye Sports or directly at golfstatlive.com. Once at the site, locate "Men's Big Ten Championship" in the list of events to obtain the results.
Written by student assistant Steven Kushner