WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Seniors Austin Eoff and Fernando Barco and junior Brian Carlson were named to the Big Ten Golfers to Watch list the league office announced this afternoon.
The Boilermakers were ranked fifth among "others receiving votes" in last week's preseason Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and second among Big Ten teams. Purdue will start the season next weekend looking to end the season in May at the NCAA Championships for the third time in four years.
Eoff returns for his senior season looking to become just the third player in school history to be named All-Big Ten four times, joining Lenny Hartlage (1984-87) and Peter Richardson (2004-07). The Benton, Arkansas, native is the school-record holder for career stroke average (72.81) and has 14 top-10 finishes in 38 career events, ranking fourth on the career top-10 finishes list.
Barco, a native of Lima, Peru, is a two-time competitor in the U.S. Amateur and posted Purdue's top spring average a year ago at 72.87 strokes per round. Barco won the U.S. Amateur qualifier at the Kampen Course this summer and ranks ninth on the career strokes average list at Purdue (74.04). His stroke average of 73.13 last year as a junior was 13th best in school history.
Carlson was named to the watch list after earning second-team All-Big Ten honors last year and having a strong summer, posting top-five finishes at the Northeast Amateur and Monroe Invitational. The Madison, Connecticut, native led the team last year with four top-five finishes and ranked 11th on the single-season stroke average list at 72.97 strokes per round. His career average of 73.83 ranks eighth overall.
The Boilermakers will open their season Sept. 10-11 at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate in Zionsville, Indiana. The field includes perennial powers Illinois, Kentucky and Louisville, among others.
