It’s time to tee it up. The Missouri Southern golf season is fixing to be underway. There will something different about the MSSU golf season this time around. Last fall there was an announcement that a women’s golf team would be added to the MSSU athletics department. So that program is making its debut this fall. The season begins next Tuesday, September 10th for both the men and women. 

Women’s Golf

The women’s golf team is comprised of eight players, six of which are freshman, the other two, juniors. Two of the freshman players reign from Carl Junction High School, one from Joplin High School, and one 0ZKylie Carnes are from Carl Junction. Kaitlyn Gilliland is from Joplin, Margaret Moore is from Seneca, Madison Easterly is from St. Paul’s Lutheran in Springfield, and lastly, Allison Cunningham comes to Southern from Hillsdale High School in Muskogee, Okla. The two juniors are from Carthage High School in Carthage, MO., and Warrensburg High School in Warrensburg, MO. 

Coaching the women’s golf team will be Mike Wheeler. Wheeler is also the head coach of the men’s golf team here at Southern.

Wheeler is assisted by Kaleb Forkner, and Derek Skaggs for the women’s team. Skaggs recently retired from the Head of Admissions here at MSSU and is now volunteering to be an assistant coach for the women’s golf team. 

The women’s golf team will begin their inaugural season on Tuesday, Sept. 10 in the NSU Invitational, at the Cherokee Springs Golf Club in Tahlequah, Okla. 

Men’s Golf

As for the men’s team, they will be returning many players from last year, and only graduated one. Connor Neil, who was one of the best players from last season, was a senior last year. Alongside Neil was Tristan Haltom. Both Haltom and Neil competed in every single event last year. Haltom will be a senior this year and will have many experienced players returning to help him out this year.

 Those who competed with Haltom and Neil were juniors Adam Vining and Tripper Jensen, who are now seniors, and freshmen Taylor Haltom, Logan Greer, and transfer freshman Grant Sikes, who are now sophomores. Other players on the roster are seniors Jon Lenz and Jeremy Dunham, sophomore Jake Becker, and freshmen Dylan Garner, Emile Kruger, and Jackson Von Behren. 

Taylor and Tristan Haltom are brothers, and actually made some great performances together as teammates last year. 

Helping Wheeler with the men’s golf team will be, Kaleb Forkner, Mark Richards, and Butch Vernon.

The men’s golf team will begin their season in Warrensburg, MO. at the UCM Heart of America Invitational. The invitational is September 10-11. Last year the men placed 6th at this invitational.