Intercollegiate golf tourney starts Sunday

WILSON -- The name of Hunter Eichhorn is familiar to local golf fans who have followed the Marquette University prodigy's accomplishments for several years.

The 2018 U.P. Golf Association men's champion is a four-time Upper Peninsula high school champion for Carney-Nadeau and is the reigning Wisconsin State Amateur champion. That has put the Golden Eagle star on a pedestal entering his junior season.

Eichhorn will not be playing in this weekend's inaugural Island Resort Intercollegiate at Sage Run because his Golden Eagles had a prior commitment, but several players of his caliber and with similar accomplishments will be participating.

Eichhorn, by the way, shares the Sage Run record of 71 with Mike Nagy of Manistique, a former University of Tennessee golfer. He has also worked at Sage Run the past two years.

Ten NCAA men's golf teams will be competing Sunday and Monday at the challenging year-old venue, with tee times on nos. 1 and 10 starting at 8 a.m. each day. There is no admission charge for fans.

It is sponsored by the Island Resort and Casino in conjuntion with South Dakota State University, whose coach, Perkins native Casey VanDamme, came up with the tourney idea.

Four of the entrants played in the NCAA tournament last year, 18th ranked University of North Florida, No. 21 Liberty University, Michigan State University and University of Central Florida.

Here is a brief look at the star-studded teams.

University of South Dakota – Coach of the Jackrabbits since 2014 is Casey VanDamme. Senior Jacob Otta won the men's college division of the Sanford Futures tournament and junior Jones Crawford of Australia won the 38th Simi Valley City, Calif. title. SDSU won Summitt League titles in 2016 and 2017 and VanDamme is a two-time league coach of the year.

Northern Michigan University – Bob Bastian is coach of the Division 2 team, the only non-D-1 school in the field. Junior Kyle Pouliot of Gladstone and sophomore Carter Mason of Negaunee are on the squad, which is led by Austin Elsner.

Liberty University – Coach Jeff Thomas's Flames finished 20th at the NCAA tournament in May with just one senior. The top returnee is Malaysia native Ervin Chang, who had a 71.71 scoring average and was selected the ASUN Conference male athlete of the year. Kieran Vincent of Zimbabwe averages 72.71.

Univerity of North Florida – Coach Scott Schroeder's 18th ranked Ospreys are led by sophomore Cody Carroll, who was co-medalist at a U.S. Amateur qualifier and played in the national championship tournament at Pinehurst.

Michigan State University – Negaunee native Dan Ellis is the associate head coach for coach Casey Lubahn. The Spartans feature 2018 Big Ten freshman of the year James Piot, who averaged 71.49 last year to earn All-Big Ten first team. Sophomore Troy Taylor II is a rising player who had a 73.57 average and senior Andrew Walker averaged 73.97.

University of Detroit Mercy – Junior Bryce Douglas of Gladstone averaged 77.2 last season and won the 2019 Upper Peninsula Golf Association men's tournament. He worked at Sage Run this summer and has played the course frequently. Sophomore James Hill is another key for first-year coach Erik Taurence's Titans. Hill had a 5-under 66 to win a Junior Golf title at Erie Shores Golf and Country Club.

University of Purdue – The Boilermakers play on a pair of Pete Dye courses in Lafayette, Ind. that were featured Aug. 24 on a national Fox TV golf show. They are led by junior Cole Bradley, who won the Indiana Amateur in 2018, and junior Joe Weiler, who won the 119th Indiana Amateur. Also watch junior Jason Hong and incoming freshman Nick Dentino.

East Carolina Pirates – The Pirates of coach Andrew Sapp feature senior Patrick Stephenson, who tied for medalist at a U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament.

Senior Blake Taylor was runner-up at the North Carolina Amateur and junior Stephen Carroll was the top amateur at the BB&T Carolinas Open.

University of Kentucky – Sophomore Cullan Brown was All-SEC as a freshman with a 72.42 average and was 10-under at the PGA Tour's Barbosal Championship in Lexington, Ky., tying for 53rd place.

University of Central Florida – Freshman Jordan Sarhadd won the Florida Junior Amateur match play title and averaged 71.69. He is the No. 6 amateur in Florida. Freshman Juan Delgado won the Dominican Republic national championship, junior Colin Kresl was second at the Florida state amateur and freshman Artem Yalovenko of Moscow is a four-time Russian junior champion. Bryce Waller is coach of the Knights. Escanaba native Todd Dagenais is the UCF women's volleyball coach.