SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Over the next six days, the University of Sioux Falls Men's Golf Team will not only open the season but compete in nearly back-to-back tournaments. The Cougars, which finished fifth in the NSIC Championship last spring, will open the season at the Jr. Watkins Invitational, which will be hosted by Winona State, on Sept. 5-7 at The Jewel Golf Club, Lake City, Minn. Then, two days later the experience-laden Cougars will travel to Bemidji, Minn., to compete at the Bemidji State Invitational at the Bemidji Town and Country Club on Sept. 9-10.

Cougars picked fifth in the NSIC
After working through a solid preseason, the Cougars will tee off at the Watkins Invitational Friday morning. USF will be led by NSIC "Player to Watch" JJ Cooney, a senior from Pickstown, S.D., who became USF's first ever three-time All-NSIC selection last spring. In the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll released this fall, USF received 45 vote points and finished just two points behind Bemidji State at 47. USF jumped up 12 vote points from a year ago when the Cougars were tabbed seventh with 33 points.

Winona State was the league favorite with six of 10 first place votes and 77 points. Concordia St. Paul earned two first place votes and 71 points for second in the preseason poll while Minnesota State had one first place vote and 69 points. BSU, which finished just ahead of USF for fourth, had one first place vote with its 47 vote points. 

Bassing and Cooney earn top 15 placements at league tourney last spring
The Cougars, which will be directed by first-year head coach Tavia Rutherford, return plenty of experience with its top seven all returning to lead the squad.   

Led by junior Brenden Bassing 11^th place finish of 225 (79-73-73), USF Men's Golf finished fifth at the NSIC Men's Golf Championship in 2018. USF, which had four team placings of fifth or better last spring, finished at 917 (313-306-298) and the fifth place showing was a major jump from a year ago 2017 when the Cougars captured eighth place in the team standings.

JJ Cooney, who was 13^th at the NSIC Meet (227 - 78-72-77),  collected his third all-league honor and it is the second time he was selected second team.  

As a team, the Cougars averaged 305.50 per round and was led by Cooney at 74.65 per round. Bassing averaged 76.95 for second best on the team with Jacob Zosel third at 77.40 and sophomore Jack Evans at 78.00 during his freshman campaign. The Cougars shot a season-best 290 at the UIU Spring Invite. Five times the Cougars shot a sub-300 and will look to build on that this year.

Individual notes
Cooney ranked eighth in the NSIC with a per round average of 74.65 with 1,493 shots on 20 rounds. He finished a season best second at the Polar Vortex Triangular on March 8 in Scottsdale, Ariz.  In his career Cooney has had 13 top-10 finishes and a sixth-place finish at the NSIC Championships in April, 2018. Cooney's career-best round was a 68 as a freshman at the Upper Iowa Spring Invite (fifth – 168 – 68-84) on April 1-2, 2017.  This year, he has placed top 10 three times which includes a tie for 10^th at the highly competitive NSIC Preview Invitational on April 5-6 in Kansas City when he opened with a 70 and finished at 145 (70-75). He had a second place finish (75, Polar Vortex Triangular) going with a sixth-place finish at the Augustana Invitational when he had a 149 (73-76). His best round of the year was a 70 in the third round of the MSSU Fall Invite when he carded a season-best three-round total of 216 with scores of 74-72-70. He shot a career-best two-round total of 145 (71-74) at the BSU Invite on Sept. 10-11, 2017. At the Lindenwood Invite, he carded a three-round total of 220 with the 75-74-71 three rounds performance. He then finished eighth with a 153 (80-73) at the Upper Iowa Invite. Ten times this season, he has had a 75 or lower round.

 In 20 rounds as a freshman, Jack Evans, now a sophomore, registered an average of 78.00 with a total shot total of 1,560. He finished 36^th at the NSIC Championship in April 18-20, 2019 with a three round total of 239 (79-85-75) for 36^th place. He shot a career-low 69 at the Upper Iowa Invite on March 30-31 when he was tied for eighth at 153 (84-69). Just a week prior to that, he had shot a round of 70 at the Lindenwood Invite when he opened with a 74 and carded a 70 in the second round before finishing with an 89 for a three-round total of 234 which placed him 52^nd. It was the best three-round total of his freshman season. He had a career-best two-round total of 150 (76-74) as he finished ninth at the Augustana Invitational on Sept. 29-30. He was also eighth at the Polar Vortex Triangular on March 9, 2019 with his 80 placing eighth among 21 golfers.

As a sophomore Jacob Zosel had some big moments for the Cougars. Now a junior, Zosel is coming off a season when he shot 20 rounds with a total score of 1,548 or a 77.40 average. At the 2019 NSIC Championship, he had a strong effort with a 234 (77-81-76) and was 27^th. Six times a year ago, he had a 76 or lower with a best of 70 in round two of the Upper Iowa Invite on March 31, 2019. He shined at the 2018 NSIC Championships as he carded a 10-over 226 (79-74-73) for ninth place and gave USF two top-10 finishes (Cooney, 6^th) for the second time at the NSIC Championships. In 2018-19, Zosel had a career-best second-place finish and career-best two-round total of 144 (69-75), at the Bemidji State Invitational. Zosel finished with his highest placing ever and his second career top-10 finish. After opening with a career-best 69 in the first round, Zosel finished with a 75 as he finished in a tie with four others for second and just two strokes off the lead.  At the LIndenwood Invite, he finished in 232 (72-82-78), which was his best three-round total of the year. He also placed 27^th at the 2019 NSIC Preview Invitational by carding a 151 (78-73), which was his second best total of the season.

Senior Brenden Bassing shot 20 rounds with a 1,539 shots for a 76.95 average during his junior season a year ago. At the NSIC Championships in 2019, Bassing carded a three-round total of 225 (79-73-73) for 11^th place. Over the final four meets of the season, he shot 79 or lower 9-of-10 rounds. He had the second-best performance of his career with a 144 (74-70) and placed a season-best sixth at the NSIC Preview Invitational at the Shoal Creek Golf Course in Kansas City, Mo. He placed 44^th of 104 golfers at the Lindenwood Invite with a 232 (77-80-75). Bassing had one top-10 finish in 2018-19 as he was tied for ninth at the Augustana Invitational after carding a 150 (75-75). He has a low round of 73 (73-82-155) on Sept. 10, 2018 at the BSU Invitational. Bassing has a career-best round (second round) of 68 (73-68-141) when he carded a career-best 141 at the BSU Invite on Sept. 11-12.  Five times he has shot a round of 72 or better in his career.

Junior Blake Berry has 14 rounds and totaled 1,140 shots for an 81.43 per round average. He had a best placement of 11^th at the Polar Vortex Triangular when he carded an 82. At the Augustana Invitational on Sept. 29-30, 2018, he carded his career-best two-round total of 159 (79-80). Berry had his best career round of 75 (75-80-83-238) in the opening round of the Holiday Inn Express Classic on Oct. 9-10, 2017. On March 25-26, he had a three-round total of 245 (78-86-81) at the Lindenwood Invitational. At the Upper Iowa Invite, he had a 169 (91-78). He had his top performance of the spring in 2019 at the NSIC Preview Invitational when he carded a 163 with rounds of 86 and 77. The 77 was a season-best.

Sophomore Hank Eggebraaten is coming off a strong freshman campaign. He carded his career-best two-round total of 157 (79-78) at the Augustana Invitational on Sept. 29-30, 2018 when he placed 26^th of 52 golfers. He shot a career-low 78 in the second round of that tourney. He has his best placement of 18^th at the Polar Vortex Triangular on March 8 when he carded an 84. Through five rounds this season, he had 408 shots and a per round average of 81.60. He had a 167 (86-81) and finished 87^th at the NSIC Preview Invitational in Kansas City on April 5-6, 2019 .

Sophomore Jake Oetzmann also opened his career at USF with a solid season. As a freshman, he shot 13 rounds and 1,040 shots for an average round of 80.00. He placed eighth at the Polar Vortex Triangular on March 8 with a round of 80. He carded his career-low two-round total of 150 (75-75) at the NSIC Preview Invitational on April 5-6 in Kansas City. With 75 in both rounds of the preview meet Oetzmann set a career best for a round. At the NSIC Championship on April 18-20, 2019, he finished in a tie for 33^rd with a three-round total of 236 as he carded rounds of 82, 80 and 74.

As a freshman Nathan Woodall shot 10 rounds with 797 shots and a 79.70 per round average. Now a sophomore, he had some strong efforts a year ago. He has a career-low two round total of 157 (76-81) at the BSU Invitational on Sept. 10, 2018. At that meet, he had an opening round of 76 which is the second best best of his eight rounds in his first campaign at USF. With an 83, he placed in a tie for 14^th at the Polar Vortex Triangular on March 8 for his top placement overall at a meet. At the NSIC Preview Meet in Kansas City on April 5-6, he carded a 75, which was a career-best total.