Western Carolina Men’s Golf Set for 2026 Badger Invitational
Western Carolina University men’s golf opens play on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, at the Badger Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. The 54-hole tournament runs through Sept. 29 at the par-72, 7,289-yard University Ridge Golf Course, bringing together a 19-team field for three rounds of collegiate competition.
Tournament Field and Course Layout at University Ridge
The Wisconsin Invitational marks a busy stretch for the Western Carolina fall schedule. The Catamounts return to the event for the first time since the 2023-24 season, marking their third appearance here since 2015. Play spans three days with 18 holes scheduled for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Live scoring for every round is accessible through the Scoreboard app, powered by Clippd.
Alongside Western Carolina and host Wisconsin, the 19-team field features Appalachian State, Drake, Illinois State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, Oakland, Ohio, Omaha, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Southern Miss, St. Thomas (Minn.), UW-Green Bay, Valparaiso, and Western Kentucky. Tee times open on the front nine off the No. 1 tee box at 11 a.m. CT / Noon ET on Sunday, with the Catamounts paired alongside golfers from Illinois State, North Dakota State, and Western Kentucky.
Western Carolina Lineup and Individual Seedings
Tyler Jones leads the Catamount squad into their fourth tournament of the fall semester as the No. 1 seed. Former Charlotte teammate Connor Warren flanks him as the No. 2 seed after leading WCU in their most recent outing, the Highlands Invitational. Jace Butcher holds the third seed for Western Carolina, followed by Connor Williams and Andrew Korytoski rounding out the Purple and Gold scoring five.
Western Kentucky Joins Madison Field Following Strong Fall Finishes
According to coverage from Western Kentucky University Athletics, the WKU men’s golf team enters the Badger Invitational for their third tournament of the 2026-27 fall season. Through two prior events, the Hilltoppers have secured a pair of second-place finishes. Most recently, WKU posted a 6-under team score at the GMAC Invitational behind host UAB, where Rafe Blankenship tied for fourth individually at 4-under.
To open their season at the ANF Fall Classic, WKU fired a 13-under team score for another runner-up finish. Gage Doyle tied for second individually at 8-under, while teammates Trevor Drew, Will Easterlin, and Rafe Blankenship joined him in the top 10 by tying for seventh place. The Hilltoppers return their entire 2025-26 roster, which tallied seven top-10 finishes across 11 tournaments, alongside newcomers Barton Rutledge and Connor Woosley.
WKU’s lineup for Madison features Rafe Blankenship, Trevor Drew, Gage Doyle, Will Easterlin, Colton Woosley, and Reed Richey competing as an individual.