Spartans Golf Team Finishes Fourth in Big Ten Championship

The Spartans had two golfers finish in the top five.

Michigan State's August Meekhof putts on hole No. 18 during the NCAA golf regional on Wednesday, May / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Of the 14 teams that competed, Michigan State’s golf team finished fourth in the Big Ten Championships. Senior August Meekhof and junior Ashton McCulloch finished in the top five overall individuals in the competition.

The Big Ten Championships are a three-day event that spans 54 holes played on the par-70, 7,240 course at the Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio. The club is best known for its tie to golfing great Jack Nicklaus.

Michigan State was in second place through the first two days of the competition and entered the final round on the heels of first-place Northwestern, trailing the Wildcats by just three shots. 

However, the Spartans didn’t perform as well in the final round as they did in the first two rounds, finishing with a 32-over par 312.

The Wildcats would lead the Big Ten Championships from start to finish, securing the top spot at 23-over par 863 (280-294-289). Behind Northwestern was Illinois, which finished in second place (38-over par 878). Purdue followed in third place (46-over par 886), and the Spartans finished in fourth place (49-over par 889). Ohio State finished fifth out of the 14-team field.

McCulloch and Meekhof earned spots on the All-Big Ten Championship team with their respective top-five finishes. This isn’t new for Meekhof. It is his second honor, as he was a sophomore on the championship team in 2022.  Entering Sunday, Meekhof was one shot off the pace and in second place. However, he shot a 6-over par 76, finishing tied for fifth place at 7-over par 217 (67-74-76).

In the final round, graduate Drew Hackett shot a 10-over par 80. He finished tied for 26th place at 16-over par 226 (72-74-80). Freshman Lucas Acevedo finished in 70th place after shooting a 12-over par 82. On Sunday, graduate Bradley Smithson posted an 11-over par 81. He finished tied for 49th place at 21-over par 231 (76-74-81). Freshman Lucas Acevedo shot a 12-over par 82 and finished in 70th place.

Michigan State’s golf team has won four Big Ten titles, the last of which came in 2008. Current Spartans head coach Casey Lubahn was an assistant coach of the previous MSU team that won a conference championship. They won three titles in four years(2005, 2007, 2008).

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