Repeat as Big Sky Champion. Check.
Advance to NCAA regional competition. Check.
The University of Idaho men's golf team made a list on a whiteboard in early spring. So far, the Vandals have marked off two items. Their chance at the third – advancing to the NCAA Championship, begins May 16 when they begin a three-day run at the Blackwolf Run Meadow Valley's Course at Kohler, Wis. Idaho is the 12th seed of 13 teams as the Marquette Regional – one of six that will be played May 16-18.
“We're very thrilled and excited to have won our conference tournament,” said David Nuhn, the Big Sky's Coach of the Year. “But this was one check mark along the way.”
The experience in handling adverse weather conditions and rallying to win can go a long way at the regional tournament, said Nuhn, who will continue to preach his message of patience as the Vandals take a shot at the third major goal on their board.
Nuhn said the Pete Dye-designed course will punish errant shots with heavy rough and plenty of sand.
“It demands accuracy off the tee,” he said of Blackwolf Run. “It demands a proper thought process for every shot. … We have to remember if we get into trouble, we have to get out and move on.”
Nuhn said his confidence in the Vandals is bolstered by their ability to stay focused and manage their games at the league tournament.
“We showed during that final round of conference we have the ability to move through the regional and on to the national tournament,” he said. “We have to go out and play good golf. We have to play one shot at a time and not make it bigger than it is.”
