2009 NWC Men's Golf Fall Classic Preview

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Northwest Conference Men’s Fall Classic is a preview of sorts for the NWC Championship in April, with both tournaments being hosted by the Lewis & Clark Pioneers at Heron Lakes Golf Club in Portland, Ore.

The men’s teams will be playing on the challenging Great Blue Course, which made its debut in 1992, and is suited for skilled golfers. The golfers will be playing from the blue tees which is designed to get them out in 3,248 yards and in in 3,243 yards for a total distance of 6,491 yards. The course has fairways that ramble between Scottish-style mounds and poses a collection of excellent risk/reward riddles.

The Linfield Wildcats were the Fall Classic Team Champions, continuing on to win the NWC Conference Championship and the Automatic Qualifier to the NCAA Tournament where they finished 25th. Pacific Lutheran will be looking to redeem themselves after winning the 2009 Spring Classic and just barely losing to the Wildcats at the championships.

Individually, Pacific’s Max Bonk will be chasing his third consecutive NWC title. Bonk is one of five golfers returning from the 2008-09 NWC All-Conference Team. Trying to keep Bonk from three-peting will be Brian Barton (Whitman), Tyler Nelson (Linfield), Yutaro Sakamoto (Linfield), and Kyle Spitzer (Pacific Lutheran) who were also named to the All-Conference Team.