MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois men's golf will shift to the Mountain Time Zone for the Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational on Feb. 13-14 in St. George, Utah.
The Leathernecks shook the rust with an impressive showing in a tri-dual match with Oral Roberts and Boise State on Saturday. Western and Oral Roberts tied at 7.5 points during its match while the Leathernecks defeated Boise State 8 to 7. The Leathernecks will see both of those teams again in St. George.
Kurt Slattery led the way for the Purple & Gold with a 71 (35/36) for his round of 18 and picked up six total points in his matches. Tim Harwood finished with a 73 (35/38) and contributed a .5 point to the cause. Andrew Godfrey carded a 75 (40/35) and collected 2.5 points for his squad. Ben Kilborn also fired a round of 75 (36/39) and added four points to the match play competition. Dan Bidle was the fifth and final Leatherneck competing in the match and shot a 77 (36/41) and brought home 2.5 points.
Dixie State won the 2011 edition of the Pat Hicks, posting a team score of 6-under par (570) last year. Utah Valley's Mason Casper won the event with a 137 including a round-one score of 67.
Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational
Host - Southern Utah
Location - St. George, Utah
Course - Sunbrook GC - Woodbridge
Par - 72
Yardage - 6,828
General Information - Golf Digest rates Sunbrook as the best golf course in Utah. This rating is a result of a number of elements including scenery, challenge, quality, and service. With the addition of the Black Rock Nine, Sunbrook is the only golf club in southwestern Utah to feature 27 championship holes. If you were to poll golfers concerning which of the three nines they prefer, one third would say The Point Nine, one third would say The Woodbridge Nine, and one third would say the new Black Rock Nine. Each nine is named after its most identifiable feature. The Point's number five hole is a short par-four bordering a desert cliff. Any shot to the left on this hole will end up 100 feet down on the par-five second hole. The Woodbridge Nine is also named after its fifth hole. After teeing off from a bluff overlooking the island-green fourth hole, golfers must carry a lake featuring a gorgeous country-style wooden bridge. This is one hole so beautiful you won't mind having to record a bogey on your scorecard. The Black Rock Nine is so named as a result of three holes being carved out of treacherous lava rock. The par-four seventh is the most remarkable. After hitting your first shot from a tee located amidst a crowd of molten onlookers, your second shot must carry more volcanic remains plus avoid a small lake strategically placed just to the right of the green.
Tournament Field
Boise State
Cal Poly
Cal State Bakersfield
Cal State Fullerton
Cal State Northridge
College of Charleston
Dixie State
Oral Roberts
Seattle
Southern Utah
Utah State
Utah Valley
Weber State
Western Illinois
Projected Western Illinois Lineup
No. 1 - Andrew Godfrey, Sr.
No. 2 - Kurt Slattery, Sr.
No. 3 - Tim Harwood, Sr. No. 4 - Ben Kilborn, Jr.
No. 5 - Konrad Deka, Jr.
Scoring - Golfstat
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