MAC Men's Golfers of the Week
Samuel Harris, Ball State, Freshman, Charlestown, Ind. (Indiana Career Academy)            
Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational       
Co-Medalist: 1st        
Score: 65-66-67 -- 198             
Samuel Harris, a co-medalist in Ball State's E.Y. Invitational with freshman teammate Luke Johnston, shaved two strokes off Johnston's lead in the final round to force a playoff. Johnston won a four-hole playoff last Sunday afternoon with a birdie on hole #11 after both golfers shot par on the first three playoff holes.
 
Johnston and Harris shared medalist honors with a program record low score (198) over 54 holes. Harris, named the MAC Golfer of the Week just two weeks ago, matched Johnston with a 5-under-par 65 in the opening round and was two strokes behind Johnston, in second place, through the first 36 holes. Together, Johnston and Harris helped Ball State to a team record for lowest score (813) in a 54-hole event.
 
Johnston and Harris were atop the leaderboard nearly the entire event. When they finished in a first-place tie, both freshman parred the first three holes of the playoff before Johnston birdied the fourth hole for the win.
 
Luke Johnston, Ball State, Freshman, Evansville, Ind. (Evansville North)      
Event: Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational      
Co-Medalist (won 4-hole playoff for individual title)      
Individual: 1st               
Score: 65-64-69 -- 198             
Luke Johnston, a co-medalist in Ball State's E.Y. Invitational with freshman teammate Samuel Harris, won a four-hole playoff last Sunday afternoon with a birdie on hole #11 to secure the individual title.
 
Johnston and Harris shared medalist honors with a program record low score (198) over 54 holes. Johnston also set a program record for the Cardinals' lowest score ever (129) over 36 holes, through two rounds on Saturday. Together, Johnston and Harris helped Ball State to a team record for lowest score (813) in a 54-hole event.
 
Johnston led the event nearly wire-to-wire, until Harris shot two strokes better in the final round to force a tie. Both freshman parred the first three holes of the playoff before Johnston birdied the fourth hole for the win.
 
Craig Long, NIU, Junior, Alpharetta, Ga. (Milton)                
Event: Badger Invitational  
Individual: 1st/88 | Team: 5th/14   
Score: 71-69-65=205 (-11)    
Craig Long won the individual title at the Badger Invitational at TPC Wisconsin, posting a career-low 54-hole score of 11-under par 205. Long played his final 27 holes bogey free with nine birdies and an eagle. He is the first Huskie to win an individual title since 2023 and the third to win a tournament in the last five years. Long's 54-hole score of 205 is the lowest by an NIU golfer since Joo-Young Lee posted a 14-under par 202 in his win at the 2016 Desert Shootout.