Men’s Golf

Northwestern will have plenty of time to sit around and think about its finish at this week’s Southwestern Jones Invitational.

The Westlake Village, California, tournament is the Wildcats’ final event before extended time off over Spring Break, and the importance of heading into that stretch with a strong finish fresh in their minds was not lost on coach David Inglis.

“These guys have worked so hard and improved so much over the winter, so this is definitely one that you want to play well at with Winter Quarter finishing up,” Inglis said.  “Building off of last week and heading into Spring Break on a good note would be big for us.”

The team’s lineup this week will feature seniors Andrew Whalen and Josh Jamieson, sophomore Dylan Wu, freshman Pete Griffith and graduate transfer Harley Abrams. Sophomore Sam Triplett will compete as an individual.

One key for NU may be Griffith’s local knowledge, as he has extensive experience at the North Ranch Country Club.

“Pete actually grew up playing there and has a house on this course, so he’s been able to walk us through some things and give us a rundown of each hole,” Inglis said.  “Hopefully that will help us learn the course a little faster than some of these other teams.”

The Cats should have good memories of the tournament after a third-place finish there last season in an event that has historically played host to a number of the West Coast’s elite programs. This week’s field will include top-30 programs such as USC, San Diego State and Oregon.

Inglis said a strong performance could further spark the team’s young season.

“After this we really get into the heart of our schedule, starting with a big tournament at Stanford after we get back from break,” Inglis said.  “We all know just how important it is to have momentum heading into those events, and this week can go a long way toward that.”

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