LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine men's golf team makes its 2022-23 debut on Monday as the Knights tee it up in Marshall University's Joe Feaganes Invitational at the Guyan Golf and Country Club in Huntington, West Virginia.
 
The event will mark the first action under new coach Bruce Brown, who took the reins of the program just last month.  The good news for Brown and the Knights is that the bulk of last year's squad returns.  Of the six players seeing action in 15 or more rounds last season five return, including the guys with the three lowest stroke averages: Frankie Morgan (74.21), Jensen Klondike (74.27) and Hudson Hummel (75.25).  In addition to a strong contingent of returners, Bellarmine has a strong contingent of newcomers with four freshmen joining the Knights.
 
Brown said he is excited to get the year under way. "They're ready," he said of his team. "We've had some great practices and qualifiers, and I would be really surprised if we don't play well."
 
Klondike, a senior from Louisville, will be assigned the "Number One" position at Bellarmine's first event with Ballard Harris earning the No. 2 spot.  Harris, a Louisville junior, had a strong showing over the summer with a T-11 finish at the Kentucky Open, closing with a 69 at the always-challenging Persimmon Ridge Golf Course.
 
Morgan will start the year in the No. 3 slot with sophomore Kannon Tucker and freshman Luke Bischoff rounding out the top five.  Senior lefty Brooks Korfhage will be the sixth man in the opening tourney.
 
Brown said the freshmen having been playing well and vying for immediate playing time, noting Bischoff fired a 67 in qualifying and Kash Albarado "is really talented and is going to be hard to keep out of the lineup."
 
In fact, Brown said competition for playing time would be intense as a total of 13 players make up the 2022-23 roster.
 
The Knights are slated to play in five tournaments in the fall with seven events scheduled for the spring, including two hosted by Bellarmine:  The Mickey Mouse Intercollegiate at Disney's Palm Golf Course on Feb. 19, 20 and 21 and the inaugural Ernie Denham Classic at Standard Country Club on April 3 and 4.