Bradley University Athletics

Men’s Golf Heads To Derek Dolenc Invite

Duane Zehr, Bradley University ITPS

Live Scoring

Men's Golf 9/24/2017 12:00:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- After a near three-week break, the Bradley men's golf team gets back into the swing of things with the Derek Dolenc Invitational Monday and Tuesday at the par-71 Gateway National Golf Links in Madison, Ill.

The Braves will play in the 54-hole Derek Dolenc Invite for fifth consecutive year after finishing third at last year's event. Junior Drake Bushong has been Bradley's top finisher in each of his two previous appearances in the Derek Dolenc Invite, placing in the top 10 each time. Bushong tied for fourth last year and owns a 71.33 career stroke average in six career rounds at Gateway National Golf Links.

Five Missouri Valley Conference rivals join Bradley in the 17-team Derek Dolenc Invite field with Drake, Loyola, Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Valparaiso slated to compete. Former Valley rival Creighton along with in-state foes Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois and tournament-host SIU Edwardsville join a list of teams which includes Murray State, Nebraska-Omaha, Nicholls State, North Dakota and UT-Martin.

Bushong enters the Derek Dolenc Invite needing two sub-80 rounds to become the 13th individual in program history with 70 career rounds in the 70's or better. Sixty-eight of his 71 career rounds as a Brave have been under 80.

Senior Ethan Brue opened up the 2017-18 season by claiming medalist honors at the Crusader Collegiate in Chesterton, Ind., earlier this month (Sept. 5 & 6) and will look to repeat his performance from last year's effort at the Derek Dolenc Invitational, in which he tied for eighth. Brue's performance at the Derek Dolenc was part of a streak of five consecutive top-10 finishes to open the season during his first year on The Hilltop.

Fellow senior Zach Jewell will play at the Derek Dolenc Invite for the third consecutive year, boasting one top 20 finish (tied for 14th in 2015-16). Jewell has averaged 74.67 per round in his two previous trips to the tournament.

Bradley's lineup will feature sophomore Charles Jahn, who made his debut in the Bradley lineup in the season opener, along with junior Daniel Lensing. Jahn tied for 12th at the Crusader Collegiate to open the 2017-18 campaign for his first career top-20 finish, while Lensing will be making his season debut. In an abbreviated 2016-17 season cut short by injury, Lensing posted a 76.63 average with seven of his eight rounds in the 70's.

Freshman Miguel Montelongo will play as an individual at the Derek Dolenc Invitational after tying for 18th at the Crusader Collegiate in his first outing as a Brave.

The Derek Dolenc Invitational opens the busiest part of the Fall schedule with Bradley scheduled to play each of the next three weeks. The Braves will head to Akron, Ohio, for the Firestone Invitational Oct. 2 & 3.

Print Friendly Version