A tee time at the Old Course at St. Andrews is notoriously hard to get, but Julian Menser did not go about getting his in the traditional way. In fact, Menser’s journey to the first tee at the Old Course began in Muncie, Indiana.
Menser, a Michigan State sophomore, won the Put Me In Coach Invitational, an individual-only tournament sponsored by Golfweek, by six shots over teammate Juan Velasquez on Tuesday. The tournament was a de facto qualifier to make the lineup for next week’s St. Andrews Links Collegiate in Scotland.
“Playing well this week kind of locked in to that one,” Menser said.
All 10 Spartans will travel to Scotland for a 10-day trip, but only six play in the St. Andrews tournament. Last year, Menser traveled with the team to Ireland, but these two trips mark his only overseas golf adventures.
Menser, from the Detroit suburb of South Lyon, Michigan, fired rounds of 67-67-68 for an 8-under total at Delaware Country Club. He and Velasquez, at 2 under, led the 34-man field with a third Michigan State player Drew Miller finishing fourth at 1 under.
“I kind of just didn’t make any really poor mistakes and I putted it really well,” Menser said. “I kept it in play off the tee and kept the ball in front of me and I didn’t really make any mistakes and get really frustrated and let it compound.”
His bounce-back ability showed. Menser only made six bogeys in 54 holes, but he followed four of those with a birdie.
“That was big for me because compounding errors like that can take you out of golf tournaments,” he said.
Menser feels like he’s learned a lot since he started playing college golf, especially when it comes to the mental side of the game. This marks his first win in college, and his first win since May, when he claimed the Michigan Medal Play, a 72-hole event at Detroit Golf Club. He won that tournament with a final-round 62.
Despite knowing ahead of time what was on the line at the Put Me In Coach Invitational, Menser tried hard not to focus on it.
“I tried to keep the outcome out of it because I feel like if you focus too much on stuff like that it makes it more difficult on yourself,” he said.
This marks the second year of the Put Me In Coach Invitational, the name of which plays on the catch-phrase made popular in the 1980s John Fogerty song “Centerfield.” Individual events — or the expansion of full-field events to allow for extra individuals on the tee sheet — is a trend right now in college golf. Many times, all a player needs is an opportunity to prove himself.
“The Put Me In Coach event was another great opportunity for our guys to test themselves in tournament competition,” Michigan State head coach Casey Lubahn said. “As we all know, getting as many tournament experiences in this game is important for growth. I believe in every one of our guys and I wanted to make sure we took advantage of the chance to develop them all in the hopes of making our team stronger.”
Menser echoed that sentiment, noting that he had also played as an individual earlier this year at the Pilgrims Run Invite, a mixed-division event hosted by West Texas A&M, and NCAA Division II school.
“It’s just great to be able to play golf,” Menser said. “If you’re playing for a spot on that trip or not, just the chance to be able to get reps to get better. . . Getting that opportunity when you’re not in the lineup and you’re trying to get back in it – I think that’s a big deal because that’s the fastest way you improve is playing tournament golf.”
For Angela Heo, winner of the women’s division of the Put Me In Coach Invitational, an individual event allowed for a new mindset. The Texas senior was one of three Longhorns competing in this week’s field while five other teammates were away at the World Amateur Team Championship.
“My goal for this tournament was to try to win,” Heo said – and win by a lot, she noted.
That thinking perhaps allowed for some freer play from Heo, who hopes to go on to a professional golf career. She posted rounds of 69-71-69 to reach 7 under and top teammate Emma von Hoffmann by nine shots.
“It’s kind of tight so you needed to hit good tee shots,” Heo said of Delaware Country Club. “Once you hit the fairway, you can attack the pins all the time. The par 5s are pretty short, some par 4s you’re also hitting a really short club coming in. If you hit a good drive, it’s try to make birdie. That’s why I made a lot of birdies, too.”
Tournament organizers hope the women’s division, which featured players from six different schools, will continue to grow in the coming years to offer the same opportunity as it does to men’s players.
“It was just fun to play this event. . . I knew I could do this thing and then I won it,” Heo said.
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