Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Preps for Big Ten Championships This Weekend
4/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
April 24, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State's Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational promises to provide a preview of next weekend's Big Ten Championships as nine of the 11 Big Ten schools are competing in the tournament, including the 22nd-ranked Wildcats.
Only Purdue and Penn State will sit out the annual MSU tourney, leaving such Big Ten heavyweights as Minnesota (No. 14), Illinois (No. 25) and Ohio State to battle it out with the 'Cats (No. 21 in the latest coaches' poll) and the host school, Michigan State. The five non-Big Ten schools -- Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Notre Dame, Toledo and Xavier -- also figure in the mix. Last year, Toledo captured the tournament's team and individual championships.
Northwestern will have its full team available this weekend as junior Tom Johnson (Sacramento, Calif./Del Campo) returns after sitting out one tournament due to a violation of team rules.
According to head coach Pat Goss, the Wildcats are capable of winning this weekend's event, as well as next week's Big Ten Championships. But for that to happen, the Wildcats likely will need strong efforts from their top three golfers, Johnson, Bjorn Widerstedt (Vasteras, Sweden/Carlforsska Gymnasiet) and Scott Harrington (Portland, Ore./Jesuit).
The tournament begins with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. The first two rounds take place that day. On Sunday, a shotgun start for the final round begins at 9 a.m.
Under Goss, the Wildcats have won the Fossum Invitational on two occasions -- in 1997 and 2001.
Live Stats will be available for Sunday (April 27) ONLY by linking to Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational.
