Spring college season slowly picking up pace

Clark Stork

As we get closer to spring, especially in the United States, college golf schedules are getting busier.

Last week Nipawin’s Cole Taylor was the lone player in action competing for Park University in Arizona. The Buccaneers started the season with a team win at the Sea Beggar hosted by Providence Baptist Invitational on Feb. 18 and 19. The team won the event by seven shots over the host school. Taylor tied for 14th with rounds of 75 and 81 at the Angeles National Gold Club in Sunland, California.

The Bucs are in Lubbock, Texas on March 10 and 11 for the Wayland Baptist Invitational.

Yorkton’s Ella Kozak began her spring season with the Western Carlina Catamounts on Feb. 21 to 23 at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational in Greensboro, Georgia. The 2024 Saskatchewan Junior champion shot 81, 85, and 75 to place 73rd overall at the National Course.

The Catamounts were 13th as team. Kozak and Western Carolina will be in Puerto Rico from March 4 – 6 for the Puerto Rica Classic at Palmas del Mar.

Will Danielson (pictured above) opened his last spring season with the Milsaps Majors in Houston, Texas at Gus Wortham Park Golf Course on Feb. 24 and 25. The Saskatoon product opened with a 1-over par, 72 in round one, he fired a 76 in round two and 79 in the final round to finish in a tie for 25th. Milsaps placed seventh in the team competition.

Next up is a trip to Opelika, Alabama for the LTU Spring Break Invitational from March 12 to 14 at Grand National Golf Club.

Down in New Orleans, Louisianna on Feb. 24 and 25 Chase Pochylko and Nicholls University teed it up for the first time this spring. The Saskatoon-born player carded rounds of 74, 76, and 77, the Riverside Country Club member tied for 52nd at English Turn in the ‘Big Easy.’

The Colonels tied for 11th. Their next event is the HCU Colin Montgomerie Invitational starting March 3 at Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land, Texas.

Several more Saskatchewan student-athletes will start their seasons in the first week of March, by the middle of the month all schools will have had an event.