Rodehorst shoots career low to lead solid season-opening day for men’s golf
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Two-time all-GPAC performer Shawn Rodehorst began his senior season in a big way on Thursday and the Concordia University men’s golf team carded its lowest score of fourth-year head coach Brett Muller’s tenure. After day one of two at the Siouxland Invite, Concordia’s ‘A’ Team sits in sixth place among the field of 13 teams. Meanwhile, Rodehorst leads the field of 70 individuals.
The Bulldogs’ 302 is just two strokes off of third-place Morningside and 10 off of the leader, AIB (Iowa).
“All in all I’m pretty happy with our performance for the first day of our first tournament,” Muller said. “We put ourselves in position after day one to make a move. If we can improve a little we should be able to pass some teams.”
Rodehorst, a native of Kearney, Neb., has made himself cozy at The Ridge Golf Course in Sioux Center, Iowa, site of Thursday’s round. On Sept. 7, 2012, he shot a then career low of 70 at the same course during his sophomore season. On Thursday, he one-upped that effort with a career best two-under-par 69 to top the leaderboard.
“He was getting added distance and he putted really well,” Muller said. “It’s hard to say a 69 is disappointing, but Shawn was five under at one point after he eagled on 14. He ended up double bogeying on 16 and had a bogey on 17. It was still a great day for him.”
The rest of the ‘A’ lineup included sophomores Reid Wiebe (72 – T2) and Court Croghan (80 – T36) and freshmen Russell Otten (81 – T43) and Tyler Ehresman (85 – T55). Of the four, only Croghan is a holdover from the 2013-14 season.
Wiebe made a big impact in his debut after transferring to the Bulldogs from NCAA Division I University of Nebraska-Omaha.
“Reid played very well,” Muller said. “He did a nice job in his first round as a Bulldog. His biggest strength is the length he gets. He had some drives of 350-360 yards. He can really overpower the course.”
The team total of 302 was six strokes better than the Bulldogs’ top score from the 2013-14 season. The closest to that total Concordia has come in Muller’s four seasons was at the Mount Marty Invite in 2011 when they carded a 304.
If the others after Rodehorst and Wiebe can bring their scores down into the 70s, the Bulldogs will be in great position on Friday.
“A lot of the new guys seemed to have a little bit of the jitters until settling down,” Muller said. “I’m proud of Russell (Otten) and Payton (DeVencenty), both shooting an 80. And Tyler had a couple holes where it blew up on him but otherwise he played very well too.”
DeVencenty’s 80 led the way for Concordia’s ‘B’ team, which shot a 328. The rest of that squad included juniors Garrett Suchanek (81 – T43), Brock Colclasure (81 – T43) and Sam Simonson (86 – T59) and sophomore Jared Knoepfel (89 – T67).
All 10 Bulldog golfers will be in action again on Friday for the second and final round of the Siouxland Invite. Play will shift to Landsmeer Golf Course in Orange City, Iowa.
Rodehorst will carry a three-stroke lead into the second day. Teammate Wiebe as well as AIB’s Andy Fraser and Nate Schill and Morningside’s Christian Nohr are all tied for second.
