Men’s Golf Returns To Twin Oaks To Defend Titles

Duane Zehr, Bradley University ITPS

Men's Golf 3/8/2019 11:00:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- After winning the team title at the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate each of the last two years, Bradley Men's Golf will try to make it a third consecutive team title when the Braves travel to Springfield, Mo., for the fourth annual Twin Oaks Intercollegiate Monday and Tuesday.

Bradley has turned in two of its top seven 54-hole team scores in history in each of the last two years at the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate, claiming last year's team title by three strokes and winning the 2016-17 event by two shots. Last year's 54-hole score of nine-over 861 is tied for the fifth-best three-round total in Bradley and the 2016-17 score of seven-over 859 is tied for the second-lowest score in program history.

The 2018-19 Twin Oaks Intercollegiate will feature four Missouri Valley Conference rivals in the nine-team field with Drake, tournament-host Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Valparaiso joining Bradley in the field. Former Valley rival Creighton along with SIU Edwardsville, Green Bay and Evangel round out the teams slated to complete at the par-71 Twin Oaks Country Club.

BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats provided vie Birdiefire. Monday's opening two rounds will get underway with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start and Tuesday's final round will feature tee times starting at 8 a.m.

Senior Drake Bushong has placed in the top 15 in each of the last two trips to Springfield, Mo., after tying for third overall last year at one-over 214. He tied for 13th in the event as a sophomore and has fired 72 or better in four of his six rounds in the tournament, owning a 72.33 career stroke average at Twin Oaks Country Club. Bushong is three rounds from moving into fifth in career rounds played at Bradley. He owns a team-best 72.82 stroke average on the year.

Fellow senior Branden Mounce was Bradley's top finisher for the first time in his career at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational in Spring, Texas, back in February to open the spring. Mounce played as an individual at last year's Twin Oaks Intercollegiate, tying for 31st overall. He has fired a 75 or better in four of his career rounds at Twin Oaks, owning a 75.33 career average in the event.

His brother Michael Mounce also played as an individual last spring at Twin Oaks and wrapped up the tournament with a then career-best round of 69. Michael tied for 14th last year at five-over 218 and has fired a 75 or better in four of his six rounds at the course to post a 74.17 average. He enters this year's Twin Oaks Intercollegiate with a 73.65 season average to rank fourth on the team.

Redshirt senior Daniel Lensing tied for 31st last spring at Twin Oaks. He is one round short of matching his season total of rounds played from last year and needs two rounds for his most competitive rounds played since appearing in 22 rounds as a freshman in 2014-15. Lensing's career-best average of 73.47 is third on the team and he is tied with Bushong for the most top-10 finishes this year with two.

Junior Charles Jahn had the low round of the tournament for the Braves in the spring opener at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational with a final round 72. Second on the team with a 72.94 stroke average this season, Jahn has shot 72 or lower in eight of 17 rounds this year which is second on the squad behind Bushong's nine.

Bradley follows up the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate with its only home tournament of the year with the Braves hosting the Bradley Spring Invitational at WeaverRidge Golf Club March 30 & 31.

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