Badger Invitational: Northern Illinois secures hard-fought comeback win

October 1, 2024 | by Amit Pandey of AmateurGolf.com

NIU celebrates first victory in 16 months (NIU Huskies Photo)

The Huskies delivered a thrilling final round, finishing three shots ahead of the field and getting their first win in 16 months

The Northern Illinois men’s golf team, known as the Huskies, clinched victory at the Badger Invitational held at University Ridge Golf Course. They finished with a remarkable score of 9-under 855, including rounds of 283-280-292, securing a three-stroke win over both Long Beach State and the tournament hosts, Wisconsin.

Entering the final round tied for second at 13-under with Long Beach State, the Huskies trailed only Wisconsin, who led at 15-under. Despite challenging windy conditions and firm greens, Northern Illinois delivered the lowest team score of the day with a 4-over 292, leapfrogging both The Beach and the Badgers to finish at 9-under. This marks the Huskies' first tournament victory since the 2023 Mid-American Conference Championship.

Long Beach State and Wisconsin both finished as joint runners-up at 6-under.

In individual competition, Washington State junior Sam Renner claimed the title with rounds of 69-67-71, finishing at 9-under par. Wisconsin freshman William Harned, who led for the first 36 holes, recorded scores of 66-68-75 to tie for second place alongside Northern Illinois senior Felix Krammer, who fired rounds of 64-72-73 for a total of 7-under.

The individual competition also highlighted a strong showing from the Huskies, with four players finishing in the top 15. Krammer led the charge with his joint runner-up finish at 7-under, followed by senior Ben Sluzas, who shot rounds of 74-69-69 for a T5 finish at 4-under. Freshman Patrick Raupp finished at 1-under for a tie at 12th, while senior Patrick Bruminhent, competing as an individual, ended with an even-par score for a T15 finish.

Results: Badger Invitational

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Sam Renner	Bend, OR	400	69-67-71=207
T2	William Harned	Nashota, WI	300	66-68-75=209
T2	Felix Krammer	, Germany	300	64-72-73=209
4	T.J. Barger	Bloomington, IL	200	69-70-71=210
T5	Matthew Javier	, Canada	200	74-68-70=212

View full results for Badger Invitational

About the Badger Invitational

Badger Invitational: Northern Illinois secures hard-fought comeback win

54-hole men's college tournament hosted by the University of Wisconsin. Team (best four scores out of five players each round) and individual competitions.