Huskers Fire Best First Round in School History

Vero Beach, Fla. – The Nebraska men’s golf team fired low numbers in back-to-back rounds, as the Huskers put themselves in position to contend for the tournament title on Monday at the Quail Valley Collegiate.

Jeremey Sisson, a sophomore from Skaneateles, N.Y., attacked the par-72, 7,460-yard layout at Quail Valley for an opening-round 69, before carding a second-round 68 on Sunday. Sisson’s second round included four consecutive birdies on the second through fifth holes. He finished the round with seven birdies, while overcoming three bogeys to go along with eight pars to match the best collegiate round of his career. Sisson enters Monday’s final round at 137 (-7) in a tie for sixth in the 84-player field. 

Tom Westenberger also played outstanding golf on Sunday, matching Sisson with an opening-round 69 (-3) before adding a solid 70 (-2) in the second round. The senior from Wuppertal, Germany, enters the final round in a tie for 12th at 139 (-5).

Will Marshall (Elburn, Ill.) continued the strong scoring for the Big Red with rounds of 70 and 71 to close the day at 141 (-3) in a tie for 19th.

Senior Mark Foelbaek helped the Huskers to a near record-setting first round with a 69 of his own to match Sisson and Westenberger. With the trio of 69s and Marshall’s 70, the Huskers ended the first round at 277 (-11) to match Kansas and South Florida in a tie for first through the first 18 holes. Nebraska’s first round included a trio of eagles, including Marshall’s on the 622-yard par-5 No. 3, Westenberger’s on the 565-yard, par-5 No. 10 and Foelbaek’s on the 444-yard, par-4 No. 11.

The 277 was just one shot off of the best team round in Nebraska men’s golf history, which came with a 276 on three occasions – the last at the Badger Invitational in Madison, Wis., on Sept. 13, 2016. The first time a Husker team put up a 276 came at the Ram Collegiate in Fort Collins, Colo., on Sept. 29, 1998, before the 2010-11 Huskers matched the score at the Jackrabbit Invitational in Primm, Nev., on March 15, 2011. All three of Nebraska’s rounds of 276 came over the final 18 holes in the respective tournaments, making Sunday’s 277 the best opening round in Husker history.

In the second round, the same four Huskers managed a 284 (-4), including a 75 from Foelbaek, who ended the day at even-par 144 to sit in a tie for 45th.

Although Nebraska slipped into fifth place at 561 (-16) after two rounds, the Huskers are just one shot back of South Florida (560), three shots back of Kent State (558) in third, and four strokes behind Toledo (557) in second. Kansas sits atop the 16-team field at 548 (-28).

KU’s Harry Hillier and Callum Bruce are tied for first individually after matching rounds of 68 and 66 to enter Monday’s final 18 holes at 134 (-10). Toledo’s Barend Botha and South Florida’s Luke Gifford also produced 10-under-par scores of 134 sit in a four-way tie for first, just three strokes in front of Sisson.

The Quail Valley Collegiate concludes Monday with 18 holes beginning with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. (CT). Live scoring will be available from GolfStat.com.

Quail Valley Collegiate

Oct. 17-18, 2021

Vero Beach, Fla. (Quail Valley GC)

Par 72, 7,460 Yards

Team Standings (Two Rounds)

1. Kansas – 277-271-548 (-28)

2. Toledo – 278-279-557 (-19)

3. Kent State – 282-276-558 (-18)

4. South Florida – 277-283-560 (-16)

5. Nebraska – 277-284-561 (-15)

6. Michigan State – 282-280-562 (-14)

T7. Northwestern – 282-281-563 (-13)

T7. Rutgers – 282-281-563 (-13)

T9. Memphis – 281-287-568 (-8)

T9. Indiana – 283-285-568 (-8)

T9. Louisiana – 284-284-568 (-8)

12. Boston College – 291-283-574 (-2)

13. Miami (Ohio) – 284-293-577 (+1)

14. Jacksonville – 284-294-578 (+2)

15. Maryland – 288-293-581 (+5)

16. Kansas City – 294-296-590 (+14) 

Individual Standings (Two Rounds)

T1. Harry Hillier, Kansas – 68-66-134 (-10)

T1. Callum Bruce, Kansas – 68-66-134 (-10)

T1. Barend Botha, Toledo – 65-69-134 (-10)

T1. Luke Gifford, South Florida – 65-69-134 (-10)

5. Chris Vandette, Kent State – 66-69-135 (-9)

T6. Jeremy Sisson, Nebraska – 69-68-137 (-7)

T6. Nick Cummings, Boston College – 70-67-137 (-7)

T6. James Piot, Michigan State – 70-67-137 (-7)

T6. Charlie Flynn, Louisiana – 66-71-137 (-7)

T10. Weston Jones, Rutgers – 69-69-138 (-6)

T10. Jamie Tofte Nielsen, Toledo – 68-70-138 (-6)

Nebraska Individuals

T6. Jeremy Sisson – 69-68-137 (-7)

T12. Tom Westenberger – 69-70-139 (-5)

T19. Will Marshall – 70-71-141 (-3)

T45. Mark Foelbaek – 69-75-144 (E)

83. Branden Meyer – 81-80-161 (+17)