Men’s Golf Opens Fall Slate at Southern Dunes Collegiate

2024 Southern Dunes Collegiate
Date	Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 9-10, 2024
Venue	Ak-Chin Southern Dunes GC \| Maricopa, Ariz.
Live Stats	Live Scoring (GolfStat.com)
X (formerly Twitter)	EMU_Golf \| @EMUAthletics
Course Information	Par: 72 \| Yardage: 7,564 \| Course Facts

MARICOPA, Ariz. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's golf team is set to compete in its first tournament of the 2024-25 season with the Eagles traveling to the Southern Dunes Collegiate at the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Course in Maricopa, Ariz., Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 9-10. The event, which is hosted by the University of Southern California, will also be the first event under the guidance of Head Coach Andy Walker, who took over the program following the retirement of longtime EMU coach Bruce Cunningham, who guided the program for the previous 30 years.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The 2024 Southern Dunes Collegiate will be held at the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Course in Maricopa, Ariz., which is located about 45 minutes south of Phoenix. The par-72 course will play to 7,564 yards with the first and second round taking place Sept. 9 and the third round Sept. 10. Tee times being at 8:30 a.m. PT (11:30 a.m. ET) both days with the second round being played immediately after the first concludes. Eastern Michigan will be one of nine teams represented in a field that includes host USC, Fresno State, Georgia State, Grand Canyon, Kansas State, Kennesaw State, San Diego, and individuals from Arizona State. Live stats will be available on GolfStat.com.

IN THE RANKINGS
The 2024-25 Preseason Bushnell/Golfweek DI Coaches Poll was released Sept. 6 with two teams the Eagles will be facing at the Southern Dunes Collegiate earning votes. Although only sending individual players, Arizona State enters the season ranked second nationally while tournament host USC is receiving votes (just outside the top 25).

CHIP INS
- Eastern travels to Maricopa, Ariz., for its first tournament of the year and its first under Head Coach Andy Walker, who replaced Bruce Cunningham after the EMU legend's retirement following a 30-year career in Ypsilanti.
- Andy Walker was named the 2023-24 Black College Golf Coaches Association Coach of the Year for the second time in his career after guiding his former school, VCU, to another stellar season.
- The Eagles' roster features nine athletes, all of whom are new to the program. Included on the list are three seniors, two juniors, one sophomore, and three freshmen.
- Eastern will look to seniors Tim Chan, Daniel Robles Delval, and Bavake Sihota for experience and leadership this season. Chan comes to Ypsilanti after playing last year under Andy Walker at VCU while Robles Delval and Sihota are transfers from Rogers State and Michigan, respectively.
- The three underclass transfers on the roster include juniors Lucas Hugues (Grand Canyon), Rory McDonald-O'Brien (South Carolina-Aiken), and Pietro Fenoglio (TCU).
- Three freshmen could make their collegiate debuts this week in Arizona, including James Baxter (London, England), Guillaume Paquette (La Minerva, Quebec), and Matthew Rastogi (Toronto, Ontario).

LOGGING MILES
Eastern will play a national schedule this year that will stretch from coast to coast, and a little beyond. Starting this week, the Eagles will play in their first of three events in Arizona while also heading once each to New Mexico and Nevada. Eastern also will take part in events on the eastern coast with two trips to Florida, one to North Carolina and one to the Bahamas. The remainder of the schedule will see the Eagles play three events in the state of Ohio, including the 2025 MAC Championships in Grove City to close out the regular season.

WELCOME TO YPSILANTI
All nine players on the roster are newcomers to Eastern Michigan this year, including six transfers and three freshmen. The transfers include seniors Tim Chan, who played under Andy Walker last year at VCU, Daniel Robles Delval (Rogers State), and Bavake Sihota, who moved down the street from Michigan. Joining the seniors as transfers are juniors Lucas Hughes (Grand Canyon) and Rory McDonald-O'Brien (USC-Aiken), and sophomore Pietro Fenoglio (TCU). The three freshmen include James Baxter from London, England, and pair of Canadians in Guillaume Paquette (La Minerve, Quebec) and Matthew Rastogi (Toronto, Ontario).

NOTING WALKER
Andy Walker is set to start his first season at the helm of the Eastern men's program in 2024-25 with the Phoenix native taking his Eagles to the Grand Canyon State three times this year. A Tour player from 1999-10 before becoming the Senior Instructor & Director of Player Development at the Golf Channel Academy (2011-18), Walker has worked with teams at several different collegiate levels. He got his start in collegiate coaching as the head coach at South Mountain Community College (Phoenix) from 2013-18 where he guided the Cougars to a pair of NJCAA Division II National Championships (2015 & 2016). Walker then moved on to Lynn University (Boca Raton, Fla.) and helped the Knights to an NCAA Division II National Championship (2019). Following his stint at LU (2018-21), Walker took over at VCU (2021-24) where he led the Rams to one Atlantic 10 Championship and one runner-up crown. He was twice named the Black Collegiate Golf Coaches Association Coach of the Year, including last season.

FANTASTIC FACILITIES
The GameAbove Golf Performance Center opened its doors Jan. 16, 2024, for the men's and women's golf teams to utilize for their preparations each season. The two-story facility, perched elegantly overlooking the 18th green and Ford Lake, was made possible through an $8 million gift from GameAbove, a dedicated group of Eastern Michigan alumni. The facility stands as a testament to EMU's commitment to excellence in collegiate golf. This state-of-the-art training complex, spanning 13,000 square feet, is designed to propel the Eastern men's and women's golf teams to new heights of success. With locker rooms, meeting spaces, indoor putting and chipping areas, and cutting-edge simulators, the facility provides an unparalleled training environment for all elements of the game.

The building features a dedicated practice range, spanning 6,619 square feet, which offers student-athletes the opportunity to hone their skills with targeted training sessions. A specialized area covering 5,383 square feet has been designated for chipping and putting, ensuring that every aspect of the game is meticulously addressed in the training regimen. Additionally, the inclusion of two TrackMan 4 Simulators, totaling 1,974 square feet, adds a cutting-edge dimension to the training experience. These simulators bring the outdoor game indoors, allowing for precision training regardless of external conditions.

ON THE HORIZON
The Eagles return to action Friday-Saturday, Sept. 20-21, when they return to the southwest to compete in the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate in Albuquerque, N.M. The two-day tournament will be hosted by the University of New Mexico on its UNM Championship Course.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

James Baxter

Tim Chan

Pietro Fenoglio

Lucas Hughes

Rory McDonald-O'Brien

Matthew Rastogi

Daniel Robles Delval

Bavake Sihota

Eastern Michigan Athletics