Michigan State Golf Programs Open Season at Folds of Honor Collegiate​

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State's men's and women's golf programs will open the 2024-25 season together, playing in the Folds of Honor Collegiate from Monday, Sept. 9 to Wednesday, Sept. 11 at American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Mich.

This will be the third annual Folds of Honor Collegiate for the men's side and the first time ever the tournament has hosted a women's field.

There are 22 different colleges and universities representing the 30 teams (15 men, 15 women) in the combined field. The field includes some of the best golf programs in the country, including 11 ranked among the top-25 in the country in preseason polls, as well as Service Academies, a Division II team on each side and a men's and women's HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities).

The three-day, 54-hole tournament will be broadcast live on Golf Channel. Coverage of the women's tournament will be on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET), on Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (ET) and on Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET). Men's coverage windows will be on Monday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (ET), Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET) and on Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (ET).

FOLDS OF HONOR COLLEGIATE
Dates: Monday, Sept. 9 – Wednesday, Sept. 11
Course: American Dunes Golf Club, Grand Haven, Mich.
Format: Stroke play, 54 holes / Play five, count four
Live Stats: Clippd - Men's scoring / Women's Scoring

MICHIGAN STATE WOMEN'S GOLF
LINEUP
No. 1 – Katie Lu
No. 2 – Ana Sofia Murcia
No. 3 – Brooke Biermann
No. 4 – Taylor Kehoe
No. 5 – Paula Balanzategui

ABOUT THE SPARTANS
Michigan State's women's golf team opens the 2024-25 season with high expectations, ranked No. 13 by Golf Channel and No. 23 by the Women's Golf Coaches Association preseason polls … The Spartans finished tied for 17th at the NCAA Championships last year and return four players from its postseason lineup … Leading the way are seniors Katie Lu and Brooke Biermann … Lu was an honorable mention All-American selection last year and she and Biermann rank among the top-10 players all-time in program history in scoring average (Biermann is 3rd at 73.31, with Lu 4th at 73.55) … Sophomore Ana Sofia Murcia, who finished second in pre-tournament qualifying, made four appearances last year, but this will be her first as part of the scoring team … Junior Taylor Kehoe, a transfer from Alabama, and returnee Paula Balanzategui, round out the lineup … Kehoe posted a 71.25 scoring average in four tournaments last Fall with the Crimson Tide … Balanzategui was a regular for the Spartans last year, appearing in all 13 tournaments and finishing the year with a 74.37 scoring average … Michigan State Head Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll is in her 27th season season at Michigan State … Her daughter, Olivia, plays at Grand Valley State.

THE FIELD (Women's Golf Coaches Association preseason rank)
Arizona (17), Baylor, Florida State (14), Grand Valley State (17, Division II), Howard, Kansas, Michigan State (23), Navy, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, San Jose State, Texas (T4), Tulsa, Virginia (20)

MICHIGAN STATE MEN'S GOLF
LINEUP
No. 1 – Ashton McCulloch
No. 2 – Lorenzo Pinili
No. 3 – Caleb Bond
No. 4 – Juan Velasquez
No. 5 – Julian Menser

ABOUT THE SPARTANS
Head Coach Casey Lubahn, in his 14th season at Michigan State, enters the season with one of his youngest teams ever … After senior Ashton McCulloch, one of the top players in program history, the lineup includes a sophomore, a junior and two freshmen, the first time a pair of freshmen have played in the opening day lineup since 2013 … Despite the youth, the lineup has experience and leadership at the top with McCulloch, the 2023 Canadian Amateur champion, who set a program record with a 70.89 scoring average and is MSU's all-time leader in average (71.74) … He will be joined by Pinili, the Detroit Boys Golfer of the Year in 2022, who played in all 13 tournaments last year and carried a 74.35 average … Bond is a transfer from Ferris State and carried a 71.40 scoring average while earning All-Midwest Region honors … Bond has familiarity with the course at American Dunes as Ferris State played the course frequently … Rounding out the lineup are a pair of freshmen, Juan Velasquez and Julian Menser … Menser, a product of Detroit Catholic Central, won the Michigan Division I boys golf state final in June and qualified to play in the U.S. Amateur … Velasquez, a native of Colombia, comes to East Lansing with a wealth of international experience and played in the USGA Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills in July.

THE FIELD (Golf Coaches Association of America preseason rank)
Air Force, Alabama (16), Arkansas (17), Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Army West Point, Florida State (3), Grand Valley State (7, Division II), Illinois (9), Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Navy, Notre Dame (34), Ohio State (22), Texas (8).

AMERICAN DUNES GOLF CLUB
In 2006, the Grand Haven Golf Club hosted a small golf tournament that would inspire the formation of Folds of Honor. The Grand Haven Golf Club closed in 2018 and a small group of patriots joined together with Jack Nicklaus to create American Dunes. The mission of American Dunes is unwavering. We are honored to raise awareness and funds for the families of our fallen and disabled veterans. Jack Nicklaus led the project by donating his $3,000,000 design fee, a group of eighteen individuals sponsored a hole and five private investors joined together to preserve the birthplace of Folds of Honor.

Lt Col Dan Rooney, a fighter pilot in the USAFR and PGA Professional founded Folds of Honor in 2007.

"American Dunes represents a collaboration of countless likeminded patriots, who want this golf course to forever stand as a tribute to the birthplace of Folds of Honor, a safe haven for veterans who find rehabilitation through the recreation of the game, and a backdrop to celebrate our country and those who fought for its freedom" said Rooney. A significant legacy such as this is born out of the effort of selfless individuals and companies who have donated their time and resources.

ABOUT FOLDS OF HONOR
Folds of Honor is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of US military service members and first responders who have fallen or been disabled while serving our country and communities. Our educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, tuition for college, technical or trade school and post-graduate work, including a master's degree, doctorate, or professional program. Funds for a second bachelor's degree or trade/technical program certification are also available. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded over 52,000 scholarships totaling about $244 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 45 percent are minorities. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on Candid. It was founded by Lt Col Dan Rooney, the only-ever F-16 fighter pilot (with three combat tours in Iraq) and PGA Professional. He is currently stationed at Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service Detachment 1, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. For more information or to donate in support of a Folds of Honor scholarship visit foldsofhonor.org.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Nice to see Texas steamrolling Michigan. Nothing like seeing a bunch Walmart wolverines with blank faces of disappointment. It’s the schadenfreude in me