OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – A busy start to the 2023-24 season continues for No. 19 Arizona Men’s Golf as it competes in its third tournament in a week and a half when it tees off in the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational on Friday. It marks the third consecutive year the Wildcats have played in Illinois’ home tournament, which includes a loaded field again this year of 11 teams ranked in the GCAA Preseason Top 25.
“We set up our Fall schedule to include marquee events in highly competitive golf environments, and the Fighting Illini Invite is our third test of this magnitude this season,” said head coach Jim Anderson. “This year’s team has gotten great experience already at the Folds of Honor Collegiate and Sahalee Players Championship in addition to previous trips to Olympia Fields Country Club. All of that work under our belts, coupled with some great golf played, creates a lot of excitement around this weekend’s tournament.”
The Wildcats have posted top-five finishes in their first two tournaments of the season with sophomore Filip Jakubcik leading the team with back-to-back top-10 individual finishes. Jakubcik posted Arizona’s best score at last year’s OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational at 5-over that put him in the top 25.
Coach Jim Anderson‘s lineup remains mostly the same from last week with Jakubcik joined by Tiger Christensen, Sam Sommerhauser and Yannick Malik. Junior Johnny Walker will round out the Wildcats’ five-man lineup after finishing in a tie for 16th as an individual at the Sahalee Players Championship.
News & Notes
- Filip Jakubcik’s stellar play in the first two tournaments of the season mark the first time a Wildcat Golfer has posted top-10 finishes in the first two tournaments of the season since Trevor Werbylo to begin the 2020-21 season.
- Olympia Fields Country Club holds special lore in the history of Arizona Men’s Golf as it is the location of Arizona alum Jim Furyk’s win at the 2003 U.S. Open.
- Program alumni are in action on the PGA Tour this week with four former Wildcats in the field at the Fortinet Championship in Napa, California. Ricky Barnes, Nate Lashley, Chase Sienkiewicz and Trevor Werbylo will all compete at Silverado Resort’s North Course.
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