By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's golf team will open the 2023-24 season at the Pacific Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 16 and Sunday, Sept. 17. The tournament will feature a total of 36 holes and will be played at the Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks, Oregon.

Representing Willamette's official team will be Paxton Jones (Jr., Wellington, NZ/Scots College), Oliver Smith (So., San Jose, CA/Pioneer HS), AJ Papajohn (Fy., Parker, CO/Lutheran HS), Jack Cazrr (Fy., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage HS), and Connor Murphy (So., Palm Desert, CA/Xavier College Prep).

Other Bearcats on the men's golf team are Preston Lightle (Fy., Victoria, BC, Canada/Belmont Senior Secondary School), Jack McMullin (Sr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), Brock Olson (So., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS), Lucas Paul (So., Salem, OR/South Salem HS), Kyler Phillips (Fy., Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad HS), Hogan Smith (Sr., Prineville, OR/Crook County HS).

Patrick Daugherty, Willamette's director of golf, is in his 11th year as the head coach of the men's golf and wommen's golf teams. He is starting his 14th year as a member of the coaching staff. The Willamette men's golf team has won the Northwest Conference overall championship and competed at the NCAA Division III national tournament each of the past four seasons (2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23; no championships were held in 2019-20 due to COVID-19).