MACOMB, Ill. - A tough fall season challenged the Fighting Leatherneck Men's Golf team but there are reasons to look forward to the spring schedule. According to head coach Mel Blasi the fall is the most he has been challenged during his career but the team has the capability to do some special things.

The schedule will allow for Western to discover what they can do very quickly. The tough slate begins on Feb. 14 as the men travel to St. George, Utah to play in the Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational. A trip to Pinehurst, N.C. on March 11 is a highlight that will be a great experience for the athletes as they see action in the Pinehurst Intercollegiate. The WIU Beu Mussatto Invitational will be in Macomb on March 28. Western will open up April with the Branson Creek Invitational in Hollister, Mo. This year's Summit League Championships will be in Primm, Nev. on April 18. The event will be hosted by Oral Roberts. The Boilermaker Invitational will close the 2011 season out in West Lafayette, Ind. on April 23.

Team captains Tim Harwood and Andrew Godfrey will lead the Leathernecks through the schedule. In the fall, Harwood had a season high finish of fourth place at the Fairway Club Invitational hosted by the University of Nebraska. He registered a stroke average of 76.1 in 11 rounds with a low round of 71. Godfrey played in 14 rounds this fall and collected an average round of 77.0. His low round was a 70 which he carded at the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate.

Konrad Deka also shot a round of 70 at the APSU Intercollegiate. Deka shot a stroke average of 78.2 for the fall season in 11 rounds. Ben Kilborn competed in 14 rounds in the fall. The sophomore shot a low round of 73 and an average round 77.6. Dan Bidle was impressive as a freshman as he played in 11 rounds and averaged a round 81.0.

Carson Baugher contributed nine rounds in the fall and turned in a low round of 76. Peter McKenzie played in three rounds and carded a low round of 73 with an average round of 78.3

Junior Kurt Slattery joined the Leathernecks during the off-season and looks to contribute immediately.

Be sure to listen to Coach Blasi's thoughts about the upcoming season on Rocky Vision.

Attached is a fact sheet regarding the season-opener at the Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational on Feb. 14-15 in St. George, Utah.