Men's Golf

Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, Isle of Wight, England, broke the Morningside College 18-hole scoring average record during the 2011-12 men’s golf season.

Thompson averaged 73.3 strokes during the fall season and lowered his average to 72.6 in the spring to finish the year at 72.9 to shatter the Mustangs’ previous scoring average record of 75.0 by Chris Rager in the 2006-07 campaign. Thompson fired a five-under par 67 at Eagle Bend Golf Course in Lawrence, Kan., on March 27 to tie the Morningside scoring record in relation to par, matching a five-under par 67 by Skip Sorensen at Sioux Golf & Country Club in Alton, Iowa, in 1980.

Thompson was the 2011-12 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) individual champion by a three-stroke margin in the combined scoring at the four GPAC Qualifier tournaments to become the Mustangs’ first-ever GPAC individual medalist. He was the individual medalist at six tournaments this season to break the former Morningside record of three medalist efforts by Justin Hamilton in 2006-07.

Sean Richardson, a junior from Lawton, Iowa, also made Morningside golfing history this season when he aced the par three, 167-yard second hole at Landsmeer Golf Club with a seven-iron while competing in the Northwestern College Invitational on April 12 for the first hole-in-one in Morningside history.

The Mustangs won three tournaments during the 2011-12 season with victories at the Morningside Invitational, Mount Marty College Invitational, and Dakota Wesleyan University Palace City Classic during the fall season. They carded a 298 to win the Morningside Invitational on Aug. 31 at Whispering Creek Golf Course to break the previous Morningside home course scoring record of 303 set at Whispering Creek in 2007. The Mustangs’ record breaking score included a 71 by Thompson, a 73 by Kyle Skinner, a freshman from Urbandale, Iowa; a 75 by Seth McCauley, a junior from Lawrence, Kan.; and a 79 by Matt Pitts, a sophomore from Cherokee, Iowa.

Pitts finished the season with a 77.3-stroke scoring average to rank second on the team, followed by Alex Wendell, a freshman from Johnston, Iowa, with a 77.7-stroke average; Cole Schwarz, a sophomore from Silver Lake, Kan., with a 78.1-stroke average; McCauley with a 79.6-stroke average; and Alex O’Neill, a freshman from Ponca, Neb., with a 79.7-stroke average.

Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, Isle of Wight, England, has been named a Third-Team NAIA Men’s Golf All-American.

Thompson became the first men’s golfer in Morningside history to earn NAIA All-America recognition.

Thompson had a scoring average of 72.6 strokes per 18 holes during the spring season and was the individual medalist in five of his eight events.

He was the 2012 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Golfer of the Year and qualified for the the 2012 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship as the GPAC’s individual champion. Thompson held a one-stroke lead at three under par through sixteen holes in the opening round of the national tournament before he finished with a double bogey and a bogey. Thompson eventually missed the cut by one stroke after he was in 46th place at 11-over par 227 after 54 holes.

Click here for the complete list of 2012 NAIA Men's Golf All-Americans.

Morningside’s Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, Isle of Wight, England, missed the cut for the final round by one stroke after the conclusion of Thursday’s third round at the 2012 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship at Creekside Golf Club in Salem, Ore.

Thompson carded a three-over par 75 on Thursday to finish the tournament at 11-over par 227 to tie for 46th place in the individual standings. The individual field was cut to the top 40 players plus ties.

Thompson opened the tourney with an even-par 72 in Tuesday’s opening round before a second round 80 knocked him out of title contention. He was tied for third place after the opening round.

Thompson got off to rough start in Wednesday’s second round with a double bogey on the second hole and a bogey on the third before he carded his only birdie of the round on the 480-yard par-five fourth. Thompson went out at 41 and finished with a 39 while failing to break 80 for the first time all season.

Thompson, who won Monday’s long driving contest with a belt of 306 yards, had been in a three-way tie for third place after his opening round 72. He was the first round leader at three-under par through 16 holes before he suffered a double bogey on his 17th hole of the day, the par four 447-yard eighth.

His opening round included four birdies, 11 pars, two bogeys, and one double bogey. Thompson bogeyed his second hole of the day, but bounced back with birdies on each of the next two holes to start a stretch where he played the next 13 holes in four-under par.

Thompson, the 2012 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Player of the Year, was the individual medalist in five of the Mustangs’ seven tournaments during the spring season and medaled six times overall during the fall and spring campaigns.

Nick Hessa has been named a 2012 Daktronics-NAIA Men’s Golf Scholar-Athlete.

Hessa, a junior from Sioux City, has a 3.63 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a major in business administration.

Hessa had a scoring average of 81.0 strokes per 18 holes during the 2011-12 season with averages of 80.3 in the fall and 82.0 in the spring.

Student-athletes must be of at least junior academic status and have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in order to be eligible for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

Click here for the complete list of 2012 Daktronics-NAIA Men's Golf Scholar-Athletes.

Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, Isle of Wight, England, has been named the 2012 Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Golfer of the Year to headline the 2012 All-GPAC Men’s Golf Team as selected by the league’s head coaches.

Thompson is joined on the All-GPAC Team by Mustang teammate Cole Schwarz, a sophomore from Silver Lake, Kan.

Thompson was the individual medalist with a combined score of nine-over par 296 at this year’s four GPAC Qualifier tournaments to qualify for the 2012 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship tournament to be held May 22-25 at Creekside Country Club in Salem, Ore. Thompson was the GPAC medalist by a three-stroke margin over runner-up Ryan Kiewiet of Northwestern College.

Thompson has a scoring average of 72.5 strokes per 18 holes and is on pace to shatter the Mustangs’ scoring average record of 75.0 by Chris Rager in 2006-07. Thompson had a 73.3 scoring average last fall and has a 71.7 average this spring. He has shot 78 or better in all 19 of his competitive rounds, including three scores in the 60s. Thompson carded a five-under par 67 at Eagle Bend Golf Course in Lawrence, Kan., on March 27 at the Ottawa University Invitational to set a school record for low score in relation to par.

Thompson has been the individual medalist six times this year to break the former Morningside record of three medals by Justin Hamilton during the 2006-07 campaign. He was the medalist at the Morningside Invitational during the fall season and the Ottawa Invitational, Grand View Viking Classic, Buena Vista Invitational, Iowa Lakes Community College Invitational, and GPAC Qualifier #4 during the spring.

Schwarz was one of the Mustangs’ most improved players this season after he had an 82.9-stroke scoring average last year as a freshman. This year he had scoring averages of 76.6 in the fall and 79.2 in the spring to finish with an overall average of 78.1.

Schwarz finished 18th in the GPAC Qualifier individual standings with a four-round total of 317. His top score this year was a 73 at the Hastings Invitational during the fall season and at this spring’s Iowa Lakes Invitational.

Thompson and Schwarz helped lead the Mustangs to a fourth place finish in this year’s GPAC Qualifier combined team scoring.

Click here for the complete 2012 All-GPAC Men's Golf Team.

Brandon Thompson carded a 74 to earn medalist honors at GPAC Men’s Golf Qualifier No. 4 held Monday at Prairie Green Golf Course in Sioux Falls, S.D. He earned medalist honors for the school-record sixth time this season.

Thompson’s two-over par 74 gave him a one-stroke cushion over Northwestern teammates Kyle Stanek and Neil Malenke for medalist honors. The 74 also vaulted Thompson atop the combined scoring for the four GPAC Qualifier tourneys to make him the GPAC’s 2011-12 individual medalist with a nine-over par 296 for a three-stroke margin over runner-up medalist Ryan Kiewiet of Northwestern.

As GPAC medalist, Thompson advances to the 2012 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship tournament to be held May 22-25 at Creekside Country Club in Salem, Ore.

Thompson became the second Morningside golfer to qualify for the national tournament as an individual, joining Justin Hamilton, who competed in the 2007 event.

Thompson’s 74 led the Mustangs to a fourth place finish in the team standings at GPAC Qualifier No. 4. The Mustangs’ score of 327 left them only three strokes out of third place behind Nebraska Wesleyan and four strokes out of second place behind Doane.

Aside from Thompson’s 74, the Mustangs’ counting scores in GPAC Qualifier No. 4 included an 81 by Matt Pitts, an 85 by Alex O’Neill, and an 87 by Cole Schwarz.

Morningside also finished in fourth place in the combined GPAC Qualifier scoring with a total of 1,251 strokes for the four tourneys. The Mustangs finished five strokes behind Doane for third place.

GPAC Qualifier Combined Scoring

Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, Isle of Wight, England,has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Golfer of the Week for April 16-22.

Thompson was the individual medalist at last weekend’s Buena Vista University Spring Invitational with a two-day total of even par 144 to top a field of 107 golfers. He carded a four-under par 68 in the first round. Thompson earned individual medalist honors for the third time this spring and for the fourth time during the 2011-12 season.

Thompson was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week for the third time in the last four weeks and for the fourth time during the 2011-12 season.

Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, Isle of Wight, England, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Golfer of the Week for April 2-8.

Thompson, who won the honor for the second week in a row, carded a three-under par 69 on April 2 in the second round of the Grand View University Spring Invitational in his only competitive round of the week. Thompson, who had a 71 in the opening round, finished with a two-day total of four-under par 140 and won a playoff against Grand View’s Ben Kern to win medalist honors.

Thompson was also the medalist at the Ottawa Invitational and has an 18-hole scoring average of 71.6 through the Mustangs’ first three tournaments of the spring season.

Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, Isle of Wight, England, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Men’s Golfer of the Week for March 26 to April 1.

Thompson had a scoring average of 71.0 strokes per 18 holes in three tournament rounds en route to the honor. He was the individual medalist at the Ottawa Spring Invitational with rounds of 75 and a five-under par 67 for a two-day total of 142 to lead a field of 49 golfers. Thompson’s five-under par 67 set a Morningside single-round record for strokes under par. He broke par again with a one-under par 71 in last Sunday’s opening round of the Grand View University Spring Viking Classic. Thompson eventually won medalist honors at the tournament with a two-round total of 140.

Morningside College won the men’s division of the 2011 Dakota Wesleyan University Palace City Classic golf tournament held Friday and Saturday in Mitchell, S.D.

The tournament was played at Lakeview Golf Course on Friday and Wild Oak Golf Club on Saturday.

The Mustangs finished the two-day event with a team score of 599 for a five-stroke cushion over runner-up Northwestern College.

Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, England, led the Mustangs with rounds of 73 and 72 to finish as the runner-up medalist with a 143. Matt Pitts, a sophomore from Cherokee, Iowa, and Nick Hessa, a junior from Sioux City, tied for fourth in the individual standings with 150s. Hessa had a four-under par 68 on Friday to tie the Mustangs’ 18-hole scoring record. He finished with an 82 on Saturday. Pitts opened with a 74 on Friday and finished with a 76 on Saturday.

The Mustangs completed their team scoring with rounds of 74 and 80 for a 154 total from Alex Wendell, a freshman from Johnston, Iowa.

The Mustangs pocketed their third tournament title of the season after they reigned at the Morningside and Mount Marty Invitationals earlier this season.

Morningside will compete in GPAC Qualifier No. 2 of the 2011-12 season on Thursday in Hastings, Neb.

Morningside’s men’s golf team chalked up its second tournament victory of the fall season when the Mustangs reigned at Friday’s 10-team Mount Marty College Invitational at Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D.

The Mustangs carded a team score of 289 to win by a two-stroke margin over runner-up Northwestern College.

Freshman Brandon Thompson led the Mustangs with a 71 to finish second in the individual standings. It was Thompson’s third 71 in four tournament rounds this season.

Alex Wendell and Matt Pitts finished one stroke back with 72s to finish tied for fourth place. The Mustangs completed their team score with a 74 from Cole Schwarz, which put him fifth in the final individual standings.

The Mustangs will return to Fox Run on Tuesday, Sept. 13, for the first of four GPAC Qualifier tournaments for the 2011-12 season.

Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, Isle of Wight, England, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Golfer of the Week.

Thompson carded a one-under par 71 to take individual medalist honors in his collegiate debut to lead the Mustangs to the team championship at last Wednesday’s Morningside Invitational held at Whispering Creek Golf Club.

Brandon Thompson, a freshman from Totland, England, fired a one-under par 71 to claim medalist honors in his Morningside College debut to lead the Mustangs to victory at Wednesday’s 13-team Morningside Invitational at Whispering Creek Golf Club.

Thompson’s 71 edged Dakota Wesleyan University’s Austin Hieb and Iowa Western Community College’s Lance Lawson by one stroke for medalist honors.

The Mustangs finished with a winning score of 298 to edge Iowa Western by three strokes for team honors. Morningside counted four scores in the 70s en route to the team title. Aside from Thompson’s medalist round, the Mustangs also received a brilliant debut from Kyle Skinner, a freshman from Urbandale, Iowa, who shot a one-over par 73 to finish in a tie for fourth place in the individual standings. Morningside completed its score with a 75 from Seth McCauley, a junior from Lawrence, Kan., and a 79 from Matt Pitts, a sophomore from Cherokee, Iowa.

Alex Wendell, a freshman from Johnston, Iowa, fired a one-over par 73 to finish in a tie for fourth place in the individual standings and lead the Morningside B team to a fourth place finish in the team standings with a 319.

Morningside will compete in the two-day Siouxland Invitational on Tuesday, Sept. 6, in Sioux Center, Iowa, and Wednesday, Sept. 7, in Orange City, Iowa.