Das Golf: Collegiate Golf in the Rocky Mountain Region has Gone Global

Over the past decade, coaches in both Division I and Division II have recruited athletes from Europe and beyond.

Five of the nine members of the 2014-2015 University of Denver (DU) men’s golf team came from other countries, including top player Petter Mikalsen. The sophomore from Stavanger, Norway led the Summit League with a 70.57 stroke average and earned All-Summit League first team honors. Although DU failed to qualify for the NCAA Regionals, Mikalsen was selected to compete as an individual. 

The University of Colorado men’s team, which for the third consecutive year competed in the NCAA Regionals, boasts four European players—Philip Juel-Berg (Denmark) and Germans Ben Bradley and Jeremy and Yannik Paul—and Colorado State features two: Germany’s Max Oelfke and Denmark’s Patrick Winther.

Pictured: Jeremy Paul

The trend isn’t confined to the men. DU’s women’s team—which qualified for the Regionals—features Mariell Bruun, Jessica Carty, Jessica Dreesbeimdieke and Rachael Watton. Dreesbeimdieke hails from Namibia, and Carty plays out of the same Northern Ireland course that spawned Rory McIlroy. Last year’s senior star, Tønje Daffinrud of Norway, now plays on the European Ladies Tour.

D-II schools are importing talent as well. This April, for the second consecutive year, Western New Mexico University won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) championship. The Mustangs recruited six of their seven players from the United Kingdom—five from England, one from Scotland.

“I try hard to recruit every State Champion and then fill out the team with the best players I can,” said WNMU Head Coach Kent Beatty. “I’ve had lots of talented kids from New Mexico that have been big contributors. But we are a small state. There aren’t a lot of kids shooting par—if they are, quite often Silver City isn’t their dream destination.”

Pictured: Yannik Paul

So Beatty looks internationally for student athletes. “They don’t have a great understanding of ‘DI and DII’,” said Beatty. “They just want to play in the USA.”

“In Europe there are no high school teams and few college teams, there are only club teams” according to Oelfke. “In the United States, it’s more organized and golf is much bigger and more recognized than in Europe.”

“College golf in the US is the best in the world and doesn’t really exist elsewhere,” said Colorado University Head Coach Roy Edwards. “It’s a different, exciting atmosphere and environment for these kids.”

“The Europeans are real ‘team’ guys. We see this in the Ryder Cup and I will attest it’s true,” said Beatty.

“The Europeans have their own community here and want to see their time here with accomplishing things as a team.”

RELATED LINKS

DU’s Mikalsen Selected to Compete at NCAA Regionals

DU Men’s Golf Signs 12-Year-Old to Letter of Intent

DU’s Daffinrud Finishes in Top 10 at NCAA Championship

Pioneer Powerhouse: DU Women’s Golf

DU Pioneers Get 12th Consecutive Title with Commanding Win

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