CLAREMORE, Okla. - The Hillcat Men's Golf team will kick off its season on Sept. 8-9 at The Mule at Mules National Golf Club in Warrensburg, Missouri. RSU will start the competition on Monday with a tee time scheduled for 8:30 a.m.
"They [players] are pumped up and pretty much ready to go," ninth-year head coach
Steve Brown remarked on the season opener in Missouri. "We are just excited to get to The Mule and see what happens."
PRESEASON REPORT
The Hillcats arrived on campus in late August and hit the ground running with practice and qualifying.
When asked about the preseason, Brown commented, "So far, so good. We have such a short window until our first tournament." Brown added, "I have met with the players quite a bit, and they have had really good workouts. So far, I really like what I see. We have an outstanding group of young men."
SCHEDULE PREVIEW
Next week, RSU will be heading to the Page Belcher Golf Course for a short trip on Sept. 15-16, specifically at the 18-hole Stone Creek Course in Tulsa. The initial venue was the Muskogee Golf Course.
After nearly a month's break, the Hillcats will travel to Monkey Island, Oklahoma, for the MSSU Fall Invitational on Oct. 20-21. In their last outing at Shangri La Resort in 2023, Rogers State finished sixth, with
Elliot-han Monteremal achieving the best individual result in 16th place.
The fall season will close with the Tulsa Cup, taking place on Oct. 27-28 at Indian Springs Country Club in Broken Arrow. Last season, RSU won this tournament with a total score of 907 (+43). Monteremal finished tied for third with a score of 220 (+4), while
Jack Roche tied for 15th with a score of 226 (+10).
"We want the Tulsa Cup to be a very competitive tournament," Brown stated. "We also want it to be a great experience for the players staying at the Renaissance Hotel, and we will go to the Mother Road Market on Sunday night. Indian Springs is also very fantastic to us and makes it a great golfing experience for the athletes."
Spring season will kick off on Feb. 9-10 in Humble, Texas, at the Houston Classic. In last year's shortened tournament at the Golf Club of Houston, RSU placed 16th.
Following that, they will head to the East Coast for the Spring Bulldog Clash on Feb. 23-24 at Caledonia Golf and Fish Club. Monteremal led the team with a sixth-place finish and a score of 203 (-7), while
Callum Brown finished strongly in a four-way tie for 12th at 207 (-3).
On March 9-10, RSU will host the 11th Annual Hillcat Classic in Owasso. They will look to secure their fifth consecutive victory at Bailey Ranch Golf, following last year's win with a score of 847 (-5).
"The Hillcat Classic is smaller than the Tulsa Cup," Brown commented. "Tulsa Cup will have 18+ teams and about 100 players, while the Hillcat Classic will have just 48 players. It's a smaller tournament, but Bailey Ranch is a great venue, and they set it up nicely for tournament play."
The regular season will conclude on Mar. 30-31 at the Silverback Invitational in Pittsburg, Kansas, at the Crestwood Country Course.
Postseason play will begin on April 13-15 at Jefferson City Country Club in Jefferson City, Missouri, for the MIAA Championships.
Lastly, the NCAA Central/Midwest Region Championships are scheduled for May 7-9 at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, Michigan, followed by the NCAA National Championships on May 18-19 at Boulder Creek Golf Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.
CONFERENCE OUTLOOK
In the 2024-25 season, the Hillcats faced challenges due to a depleted roster, ultimately finishing 11th at the MIAA Championship held at Jefferson City Country Club. Monteremal was the standout performer for the team, tying for 16th place with a score of 218 (+3), which earned him All-MIAA Honors. With a revamped roster this season, RSU aims to change the narrative.
"We obviously had a pretty down year last year, a place where none of us were accustomed to," Brown said about the MIAA. "I know that the four returners are looking to correct the results from last year. I think we are really going to surprise some people this year."
Central Oklahoma, the defending MIAA Champion and last season's NCAA Division II Central/Midwest Regional Champion, is set to compete strongly again this year. Central Missouri, which secured second place in the conference and was also represented at the NCAA Championship, is another team to watch. Additionally, Arkansas-Fort Smith finished third at the MIAA Championships last season, with Jeremy Tandoy and Chandler Cooke taking first and second place in the individual standings, respectively.
MEET THE TEAM: RETURNERS
The Hillcats will welcome back a total of four student-athletes from last season.
"The returners want to prove themselves," Brown said.
Senior
Tyler Collier is set to return for his final season with the Hillcats. Last season, the Broken Arrow native participated in 11 tournaments, achieving five top 20 finishes. Notably, he tied for 17th place at the Mule tournament, shooting a score of 216 (+6). He also finished tied for 20th at the Battle of the Belt, with an impressive score of 218 (+2).
"Tyler is a great ball striker," Brown commented on the senior. "If we can fine-tune him on a few things, he will be a major contributor to the success of the team."
Senior
Maddox Bullen from Nowata will support the Red and Navy for one final season. During the 2024-25 season, he participated in four tournaments. His best performance was at the Battle of the Belt, where he finished in a tie for 18th place with a score of 217 (+1).
"Maddox is a very calm presence on the team," Brown said about the Bullen. "His game is good. It's his last year, and he really wants to come in and make his presence be felt."
Callum Brown aims to build on an impressive freshman season. The native of Durham, England, participated in eight tournaments, with his best performance at the Spring Bulldog Classic, where he finished in 12th place with a score of 207 (-3).
"Callum has come in and is really fired up," Brown remarked on the sophomore. "He's leading qualifying right now after two outstanding rounds, and he's poised for a great year."
Last but not least,
Miguel Mora returns for his sophomore season. The native of Gijón, Spain, played in seven tournaments. His best performance came at the Battle for the Belt, where he finished in a tie for 46th place after shooting a total of 227 strokes (+11).
MEET THE TEAM: NEWCOMERS
Rogers State adds a ton of new pieces with three transfers and three true freshmen.
"The newcomers are doing a really great job," Brown stated. "The freshmen coming in are really good players, and the transfers have a lot of quality experience that will help the team."
Aiden Deng was a significant late addition to the Hillcats. The senior from Peterborough, Ontario, comes to the Hill from Davenport University, where he was a multi-time All-GLVC selection and played a crucial role in leading the Panthers to an NCAA Central Region appearance in 2023 and 2024.
"Aiden really impressed me when he played with Danny Robles in the regional tournament as a freshman," Brown said about the talented transfer. "Kind of like us, he didn't have the best year, but I really have a lot of confidence in him."
Junior
Dylan Ros comes to Claremore from Westpunt, Aruba. Last season at Murray State, he was recognized as an NJCAA Cobalt Golf All-American Scholar and had a tournament scoring average of 73.1.
"I went down and watched Dylan play down in Shawnee, and he played extremely well," Brown commented on the Murray State transfer. "He's just a really nice young man."
Sophomore
Bo Gentry has transferred from Southeastern Oklahoma. The Tulsa native boasts a storied career as a Union High School graduate, where he was an MVP and a four-time all-conference selection for the RedHawks. Additionally, he achieved six wins during his time there.
"Bo's brother Josh was on my team the very first year I was here, so I know the Gentry family quite well," Brown remarked on Gentry. "I know his season at Southeastern wasn't what he wanted it to be. So far, he has been a great teammate and worked hard since arriving on campus."
Ben Field II joins the team from Owasso, where he was an academic all-conference honoree for the Rams, achieving a 3.3 GPA. Field plans to pursue a degree in business finance at Rogers State.
Kobsak Phisitbuntoon is joining the program from Chiang Rai, Thailand. The biology major was a member of the Thai national team in 2024.
Thomas Richardson joins the Hill Liverpool in England. He attended Millfield School and was the ISGA National Champion, a recipient of the Order of Merit of Portugal, and a College Amateur.
FINAL WORDS FROM COACH BROWN
"Keep an eye on us and please come out if you can come watch us play at our tournaments if you can," Brown commented. "It will be great to see people come out and watch a few holes. Players love to see people come out."
Brown added, "I'm proud of this group. Last year wasn't the successful year that we wanted, but we were the only team in the MIAA to be a Team Academic All-Americans. So, to be able to have players like that on the team, I am really proud of that."
