Hilltoppers Open Golf Season at Wolf Run Intercollegiate

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU redshirt junior Billy Tom Sargent knows that perfection is unattainable in the game of golf.

"With golf, you can never be as good as you can be," Sargent said. "There's always potential and you can always grow from it, so I just want to keep growing as a player."

The next step in that growth for Sargent and his Hilltopper Golf teammates takes place this weekend, as WKU begins the 2017-18 season at Indiana's Wolf Run Intercollegiate.

The Hilltoppers will be one of 16 teams competing Friday through Sunday at the par-71, 7,155-yard Wolf Run Golf Club in Zionsville, Ind. The teams will play 18 holes each day, with tee times starting at 8 a.m. CT.

WKU will bring Sargent, junior Stuart Easton, redshirt sophomore Linus Lo, sophomore Kyle Jeffers and freshman Crimson Callahan to the event after several rounds of qualifying in Bowling Green in the preseason.

"We've got a lot of productive days, working on the short game, which is the most important part," Easton said. "I think all 10 guys are playing well, and we're looking forward to the season ahead."

Sargent had the most productive season for the Hilltoppers last season, leading the team in eight of 12 events and registering five top-10 finishes, including two victories. The Georgetown, Ky., native also tied for 12th at the 2017 Conference USA Championships, the best individual conference finish by a WKU player since 2010.

Sargent paved the way for a Hilltopper squad that regularly fielded all sophomores or younger last season.

But with another year gone by, WKU now has a nucleus of upperclassmen to lean on for leadership with Sargent, Easton, senior Bryant Evans and junior Blake Smith.

"We've all just been working really hard during the summers and the season, and I think we'll do big things this year," Sargent said. "I think the upperclassmen just need to step up and play well."

The Hilltoppers' roster also features sophomore Tom Bevington, as well as two additional freshmen – area products Chase Landrum and Dawson McDaniel.

Easton said he likes the age mix and competition created by the roster, and he knows it's the job of the upperclassmen to help bridge the gap – a task that begins in earnest Friday in Indiana.

"On the golf course, your expectations can get ahead of you sometimes," Easton said. "I just try to keep myself grounded and let it happen. With the freshmen and sophomores we have, it's just leading by example and making sure they enjoy their time here."

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Players Mentioned

Tom Bevington

Crimson Callahan

Stuart Easton

Bryant Evans

Chase Landrum

Linus Lo

Dawson McDaniel

Billy Tom Sargent

Blake Smith