Baylor MGOLF Set to Open the Season at the Gopher Invitational

[Roberts, Matt]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Sept. 6, 2024

Baylor MGOLF Set to Open the Season at the Gopher Invitational
The two-time champs make first appearance in the event since 2022
For more information, contact Matt Roberts, 254-227-2280, WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu<mailto:WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu>

INDEPENDENCE, Minn. – Baylor men's golf will kick off the 2024-25 season at the Gopher Invitational on Sunday morning at Windsong Farm Golf Club.

Winners of the event in 2014 and 2019, BU tied for sixth in its last appearance at the Gopher. Losing five senior contributors off last year's team, including recent PGA Tour Americas graduate Johnny Keefer, Baylor will have a different look this season, but head coach Mike McGraw is looking forward to watching this crew compete.

“As is the case every year, both coaches and players alike are excited to get going,” he said. “We have had a great deal of success in this event through the years, and the golf course will be tough, with firm and fast greens.”

Junior Jonas Appel will take the No. 1 position in the opening tournament this season, a spot Keefer occupied for 36-straight events prior to this season. Appel appeared in eight tournaments as a member of the lineup last season, and his best finish in those events was a tie for 38th at the Valero Texas Collegiate to open last season.

Davis Ovard will take the No. 2 spot after a strong start to the sophomore’s collegiate career. After leading the team with 38 rounds played last season, Ovard competed in the Elite Amateur Series this past summer, winning the prestigious North and South Amateur at Pinehurst in late June.

Zach Heffernan will play at No. 3 on the heels of his best season in green and gold. The senior notched a career-best with two top-5 finishes and tied for 18th at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional.

At No. 4, Drew Wrightson makes his first appearance for the Bears since the NCAA Championship in 2023. On the heels of a redshirt season, Wrightson looks to regain the form he had at the end of 2023, when he finished tied for 6th at the Big 12 Championship at Prairie Dunes.

Sam Dossey makes his debut in the lineup at the No. 5 spot this week. In his last competitive tournament, Dossey finished tied for second at the Winstar Spring Individual on the strength of a final-round 68.

Additionally, six Bears will play in an individual event at nearby Pioneer Creek Golf Club beginning on Saturday. Patricio Gonzalez, Aidan Gutierrez, Martin Kemp, Jackson Hymer, Corbin Null and Vincent Stjernfeldt will all tee it up for the Bears.

Live scoring and stats for the Gopher Invitational can be found at SCOREBOARD.CLIPPD.com<https://scoreboard.clippd.com/tournament-leaderboard/233131/scoring/participants>, while the individuals in the Minnesota Golf Classic can be tracked, here<https://scoreboard.clippd.com/tournament-leaderboard/234780/scoring/participants>. For more information on Baylor Men’s Golf, follow @BaylorMGolf on X, Instagram and Facebook.

www.BaylorBears.com<http://www.BaylorBears.com>




Matt Roberts | Associate Director of Athletic Communications (MBB/MGOLF/ WGOLF)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-227-2280
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