Marshall University’s men’s golf team finished fifth or better in each of its first three tournaments of the 2021 fall season. This is the first time since the 2015-16 season that head coach Matt Grobe has seen his golfers finish fifth or better as a team in more than two events.  

“We’ve had two guys that I’ve been very impressed with in Noah (Mullens) and Tyler (Jones),” Grobe said.

“We haven’t had this in a while, where two upperclassmen are leading the team.

With those two being as solid as they’ve been for us, we’ve been able to take some pressure off of the freshman.” 

The team finished tied for fifth in the Eastern Kentucky Intercollegiate in early September. 

A week later, the team hosted the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational, in which the Herd came out victorious.

It was the first time that Marshall had won its home event since 1977.

The most recent event was in Davidson, NC, where the Herd finished second at the River Run Collegiate. 

Senior Noah Mullens is leading the way for the Herd on the links through three tournaments. 

The Milton, WV native has a scoring average of 69.7 and has a low round of 68, which he has accomplished twice in 9 rounds.

“My biggest strength early this season has been my mentality,” said Mullens.

“On the golf course, I haven’t been getting too high or too low. I’ve been staying even keeled, and just focusing on each shot and not getting ahead of myself.” 

Junior Tyler Jones was just as solid for Grobe and the Herd in the first three events.

Jones has a scoring average of 71.8 and also has two low rounds of 68.

“I’ve hit the ball really well so far this season,” Jones said.

“I didn’t play as well toward the end of the last event, so I’m eager to get back out on the course and find the positives from the good rounds I’ve had.” 

Marshall’s next tournament is Monday and Tuesday in Bridgeport, WV, for the Mountaineer Intercollegiate.  

“It’s one of my favorite tournaments,” Grobe said. “WVU and coach Covich are a wonderful host. We are so excited that we are able to go back up there to it.” 

The Mountaineer Intercollegiate is a 54-hole event played at Pete Dye Golf Club. 

“It’s (Pete Dye) a very tough course to kind of talk to your kids about because it is such a hard golf course,” Grobe said. “It will probably be the toughest setup we play all year long.

It’s a challenge. Pete Dye is a course that if you don’t bring your A game and have a good mentality, you can get in trouble.” 

Pete Dye Golf Club is a par 72 that will play over 7000 yards.

Coach Grobe, knowing the difficulty of the course, wants his players to bounce back when things don’t go as planned. 

“The message to the team will be, look we’ll make mistakes around here (Pete Dye) and know everyone else will have the same struggles,” Grobe said. “It’s how we rebound from those and everybody else does, which will determine how we finish.”