Bee’s Golfers qualify for 2008 NAIA National Tournament

The St. Ambrose men’s golf team finished a record breaking fall 2007 season with a first place finish at the NAIA Region 7 Men’s Golf Tournament held October 15-16 at Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena, Illinois. The win qualifies the Fighting Bee linksters for next springs NAIA National Golf Championship to be played at the Indiana National Golf Club at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, Indiana, May 13-16, 2008. This will be the sixth consecutive appearance at the national tournament for the St. Ambrose team and its 10th appearance in the last 11 years.

This was the seventh tournament win of the fall season for the varsity squad which finished with a school record 291 team scoring average in fifteen rounds. The junior varsity squad also set a school record scoring average of 294 with one tournament victory in seven rounds.

As has been the case in past season’s, balanced scoring lead the bee’s to another successful fall season.

Senior two time NAIA All American Drew Chuipek averaged 73.4 in the fall with one tournament victory at the Iowa Wesleyan Fun City Classic.

Senior Tim Harrigan finished 2nd at the NAIA Region VII Tournament and was named to the all region team. His average in the fall was 73.2

Junior Adam White finished 3rd at The NAIA Region VII Tournament and was named to the all region team. He was the medalist at two fall tournaments, the Grand View Viking Classic and the St. Ambrose Invitational. At the St. Ambrose tournament Adam fired a school record 9 under par 63 in the first round to propel him to a 5 stroke victory.

Sophomore Dusty Drenth was the medalist at the NAIA Region VII Tournament and was named the NAIA 2007/08 Region VII Player of the Year. He was also the individual champion at the Duane Chanay Invitational in the fall. Dusty’s average in the fall season was 72.2

Senior Chris Leiser rounded out the top five with a fall average of 74.3

The Fighting Bee’s spring 2008 schedule will kick off with their annual spring trip to Palm Springs, California in March. The Bee’s will be defending champions at four spring tournaments, The Central College Invitational, The NAIA Classic at the Brickyard, The Quad City Collegiate and at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championship.

The Bee Linksters hope to improve on their 12th place team finish at last years NAIA National Golf Championship. Their best team finish at the national tournament was 3rd in 2004.