Bearcat Men's Golf Team is Set to Challenge at NWC Tournament
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University will be seeking to win the Northwest Conference championship at the 2024 NWC Tournament on Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 at Langdon Farms Golf Club in Aurora, Oregon. Action will start at 11 a.m. each day. The NWC Tournament is one of three events used to determine the overall Northwest Conference team title.
The NWC Fall Classic is worth one-fourth of the championship and the NWC Spring Classic is worth one-fourth of the title. The NWC Tournament is worth one-half of the championship. Willamette took fifth place at the NWC Fall Classic and moved into contention for the title by winning the NWC Spring Classic by one stroke over Whitman College and Whitworth University, which tied for second.
After two of the three events, Whitman is in first place with 14.5 points, Whitworth is second with 13.5 points, Willamette is third with 12 points, and Linfield University is fourth with 11 points. George Fox University is fifth with 9, Pacific Lutheran University is sixth with 6, Pacific University and the University of Puget Sound are tied for seventh at 3 points, and Lewis & Clark College is ninth with no points. At the NWC Tournament, points will be awarded on a 16-14-12-etc. basis.
If Willamette wins the tournament, the Bearcats will claim the overall NWC championship if Whitman finishes third or lower. The Blues can win the overall title by taking first or second place, unless Whitworth wins this weekend, which would earn the Pirates the championship.
The NWC Champion receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Golf Championship. Willamette has won the past four NWC Championships (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023). No champion was crowned in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Golfing for the Bearcats this weekend will be Oliver Smith (So., San Jose, CA/Pioneer HS), Brock Olson (So., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS), Alexander Papajohn (Fy., Parker, CO/Lutheran HS), Preston Lightle (Fy., Victoria, BC, Canada/Belmont Senior Secondary School), and Jack Carr (Fy., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage HS). Smith was chosen NWC Men's Golf Student-Athlete of the Week on April 15 after shooting a 6-under par 65 and a 2-under par 69 in two dual tournament with Linifield on April 13-14.
The second dual was held at Langdon Farms, where Smith carded his 2-under 69. Also at Langdon Farms, Olson shot an even-par 71 and Papajohn earned a 1-over par 72. One day earlier at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis, Oregon, Smith registered his 6-under 65, while Carr shot a 2-under par 69.
At the NWC Spriong Classic on April 7-8, Lightle, Olson, and Smith all tied for fifth place at 1-under par 143. Lightle and Smith both shot 70-73, while Olson carded 71-72 at The Home Course (par 72) in DuPont, Washington.
On Saturday in the first round of the NWC Tournament, Willamette's tee times will be 11 a.m. for Olson, 11:08 for Smith, 11:16 for Lighlte, 11:24 for Papajohn, and 11:32 for Carr. All of Willamette's golfers will begin on Hole #1.