BYU opens 2018 season with two tournaments

PROVO, Utah – BYU men's golf opens it's 2018-19 season this weekend at the William H. Tucker Invitational Sep. 28-29, and the Nick Watney Invitational Oct. 1-2. The Cougars were picked to finish second in the West Coast Conference preseason poll after finishing third last season. 

"It’s always exciting to start a new season to see which guys will step up and help the team," BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank said. "Some solid individual performances during summer tournaments should give us some momentum going into the fall season."

The Cougars return seven golfers from last year's team that finished tied for third in the WCC Championship and went on to compete at NCAA nationals. Peter Kuest and Rhett Rasmussen, who were both named to the All-WCC preseason team this year, highlight the group of returners. Kuest, Rasmussen and senior Spencer Dunaway all participated in nationals last spring, as well as the U.S. Amateur in August. Kuest was one of two golfers at the USAM to participate in the final round of a playoff to qualify for the round of 64, but fell just short of advancing. 

Newcomers Brock Stanger and Carson Lundell look to bolster the BYU team and help them to even greater success at the conference and national level. Stanger, an Orem native, transferred from Utah State after just one year, and Lundell recently returned from a mission to Tucson, Arizona. Lundell is the lone freshman on the team, but brings plenty of experience, with three state titles at Lone Peak High School and a first-place standing after the first round of the Utah State Amateur in 2016.

Kuest, Rasmussen and Lundell with all travel with the team to the opening tournaments, joined by sophomore Kelton Hirsch and sophomore Austin Banz. Sophomore Chad Hardy will compete as an individual.

Brockbank returns as head coach of the Cougars in his 27th year at the helm. Brockbank has coached BYU to nine seasons with three or more tournament wins, including last year. The Cougars got off to a good start last season with a first-place finish at both tournaments, and look to do so again this year. The full leaderboard and live stats for the tournaments can be found at GolfStat.com.