Coming off its best season in school history, the St. Ambrose Men’s Golf Team
is off to a great start with 5 tournament wins in their first 7 events. The Fighting Bee’s started the Fall season by successfully defending their team title from last year at the Black Hawk Invitational and followed that victory with wins at the St. Ambrose Invitational, The Loras Invitational, The Iowa Wesleyan Invitational and The St. Francis Invitational. The team also had a strong second place finish at the North Country Golf Classic in Cedar Rapids and a 4th place finish at the NCAA Division I D.A. Weibring Illinois State Invitational. The team is ranked 4th in the GOLFWEEK NAIA Men’s
Golf Pre-Season national rankings.
The St. Ambrose (Blue) squad has a current team stroke average of 294 in tournament
play, only one stroke higher then last years season ending 293 average. The St. Ambrose
(White) team average this Fall is currently 300, which is 4 strokes better then last year.
This years squad is once again lead by returning All-American Joe Demory (Senior, Sterling, IL) Demory has one tournament win at the Loras Invitational and strong second place finishes at the at the D.A. Weibring Illinois State Invitational and the North Country Mt. Mercy Invitational. His stroke average is currently 70.6 in13 competitive rounds.
Playing in the number 2 position is Tim Puetz (Senior, Peru, IL). Puetz finished 2nd at
the Loras Invitational and has a current stroke average of 72.3 in 13 competitive rounds.
Playing in the number 3 position is Bryan Lemkau (Junior, Muscatine, IA). Lemkau
won his first collegiate tournament this Fall at the St. Ambrose Invitational posting a score of 69 and winning a sudden death play-off over 4 other players. His current
stroke average is 73.2 in 14 competitive rounds.
Playing in the number 4 position is Tim Harrigan (Freshman, Oak Lawn, IL). Harrigan
has a second place finish at the St. Francis Invitational and tied for second at the Black
Hawk Invitational. His current stroke average is 74.6 in 16 competitive rounds.
Playing in the number 5 position is Jimmy Marinelli (Junior, Byron, IL). Marinelli won
his first collegiate tournament at the St. Francis Invitational posting a two under par total
of 70. He also finished 7th at the Loras Invitational and 11th at the North Country Mt. Mercy Invitational. His current stroke average is 74.3 in 13 competitive rounds.
Other strong contributors to this year’s squad include:
Drew Chuipek (Freshman, Gilberts, IL). Chuipek has a 5th place finish at the St. Ambrose Invitational and has a current stroke average of 75.8 in 16 competitive rounds.
Bobby Mertel (Freshman, South Elgin, IL). Mertel finished second at the Black Hawk
Invitational and has a current stroke average of 74.6 in 13 competitive rounds.
Cody Flatt (Senior, Monmouth, IL). Flatt has a 9th place finish at the St. Francis
Invitational and has a current stroke average of 74.6 in 13 competitive rounds.
Craig McConville (Senior, Mendota, IL). McConville has a current stroke average
of 75.4 in 12 competitive rounds.
Brent Blevins (Junior, Davenport, IA). Blevins has a current stroke average of
77.1 in 12 competitive rounds.
Rounding out the top 15 are Keith Szafranski (Freshman, LaGrange, IL). Szafranski
won his first collegiate tournament at the Iowa Wesleyan Invitational and has a current
stroke average of 75.2 in 8 competitive rounds. Patrick Cook (Junior, Winthrop, IA)
has a competitive stroke average of 74.2 in 9 rounds. Sunil Taneja (Senior, Peoria, IL)
has a competitive stroke average of 74.5 in 9 rounds. Jason McGrane (Senior, Guttenberg,
IA) has a competitive stroke average of 74.7 in 9 rounds. Kyle Popischil
(Freshman, Freeport, IL) has a competitive stroke average of 75.0 in 8 rounds.