Tuesday, October 27, 2009

PGA Q-School: First Stage

Mike Van Sickle continues his quest for a Tour card at a PGA Q-School First Stage qualifier in Valdosta, Ga. Van Sickle will play four rounds, Oct. 27-30, at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, one of 11 First Stage sites across the country.

The former Marquette all-American has been paired with Pat Grady and Carlos Sainz for the first two rounds of the stroke play event with an opening round tee time set for 9:40 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Oct. 27.

Van Sickle won a Pre-Qualifying tournament in Lincoln, Neb., back in September, which earned him the right to advance through to the First Stage.

Link to Q-School tournament information and results.
http://pgatq.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgatq9/event/pgatq911/index.htm

Monday, September 28, 2009

Van Sickle Helps Pennsylvania to USGA State Team Championship

Mike Van Sickle closed with rounds of 68 and 67, respectively, to help lead Pennsylvania to the 2009 USGA Men's State Team Championship at The Country Club of St. Albans (Mo.), Sept. 23-25.

Van Sickle finished the tournament at four-under-par 207, as Pennsylvania claimed a three-stroke victory over Kansas. Partnered with Van Sickle were fellow Pittsburgh-area amateurs Sean Knapp and Nathan Smith.

Full Story (USGA.org)

Monday, September 21, 2009

Van Sickle Wins PGA Tour Q-School Pre-qualifier

Mike Van Sickle advanced to the First Stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament after winning a pre-qualifier this past weekend in Lincoln, Neb., with a final round six-under-par 64.

Van Sickle, who also shot 64 in the second round after beginning the day five strokes behind the first-round leader, carded 24 birdies in four rounds of play at Yankee Hill Country Club. He finished at 11-under 269.

First Stage of Q-School will get underway beginning Oct. 21 at one of 11 sites. More information, including complete results, are available at www.pgatour.com/qschool.

Monday, August 24, 2009

U.S. Amateur Begins Monday

Mike Van Sickle will tee off in the 109th U.S. Amateur Championship at 2:35 p.m. CT Monday at Southern Hill Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

Van Sickle shot 146 in a 36-hole sectional qualifier back on Aug. 3 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The former Marquette star and All-American has been grouped with Trent Whitekiller (Sallisaw, Okla.) and Curtis Skinner (Lake Bluff, Ill.).

Televised coverage of the event will be broadcast on NBC and the Golf Channel.

Television Schedule
Wednesday (Aug. 26) Golf Channel 3-5 p.m.
Thursday (Aug. 27) Golf Channel Noon-2 p.m.
Friday (Aug. 28) Golf Channel Noon-2 p.m.
Saturday (Aug. 29) NBC 3-5 p.m.
Sunday (Aug. 30) NBC 3-5 p.m.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Pennsylvania Golf Association Open Championship begins Monday

Mike Van Sickle will go for a three-peat this week at the Pennsylvania Golf Association's 93rd Open Championship, which begins Monday, August 10 at the storied Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.

Van Sickle made history last summer when he became the first player since 1955-56 (and first-ever amateur) to win back-to-back Pennsylvania Open Championships.

Bill Beckner, Jr. of the Valley News Dispatch wrote a preview for this year's event that also ran online Aug. 8 at PittsburghLive.com.

Live scoring is available.


Saturday, August 1, 2009

Chicago Tribune likes Van Sickle's chances at Western Am

Mike Van Sickle will travel from Columbus, Ohio, where he recently competed in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational -- a Nationwide Tour event, to Chicago to compete in this week's 107th annual Western Amateur Championship, Aug. 3-8, at Conway Farms.

Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune spent some time with the former Marquette University standout a while back at the Western Amateur media day. He recently posted a column titled, "Mike Van Sickle can win the "Masters" of Amateur Golf."

Here's the direct link to the Greenstein's column: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/golf/chi-02-18-holes-mike-van-sickle-aug02,0,5983527.column

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Van Sickle to play in Nationwide Tour event

Mike Van Sickle has been invited to play in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational, a Nationwide Tour event, to be held at Ohio State University's Scarlet Course, July 30 through August 2.

Invitations to compete in this week's tournament in Columbus, Ohio, were extended to 2009 Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) award winners and first-team All-Americans. Van Sickle was this year's Byron Nelson Award winner, in addition to being named to the PING All-America First Team.

[link to full story on GoMarquette.com]

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Van Sickle Earns All-America Scholar Award For Second Straight Year

For the second consecutive year, Mike Van Sickle has been named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar, it was recently announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

Van Sickle, recipient of this year's Byron Nelson Award, was one of two All-Americans to be honored by the GCAA. He led NCAA Division I in scoring average (70.00) this past season, among other statistical categories, and graduated from Marquette University in May with a 3.3 cumulative grade point average.

[read full story on GoMarquette.com]

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Van Sickle meets with media

In addition to one-on-one TV interviews and a candid sit-down with local sports talk radio station WSSP 1250 AM (Peaches???), Mike Van Sickle held two press conferences Wednesday following the Pro-Am at the U.S. Bank Championship.

A video of Van Sickle's second press conference of the afternoon is available on Marquette's YouTube channel. As for his round in the Pro-Am? He shot a 63, but the PGA made him play from the white tees.




A complete transcript (download PDF) of Mike's press conference earlier in the day is also available for download.

VIDEO: "Mike's Diary" on WTMJ-TV

Our good friend Lance Allan over at WTMJ-TV ("Today's TMJ4") will be featuring Mike Van Sickle in a video diary this week in conjunction with the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

Check out the first installment titled, "Marquette and Mike" online at Lance's blog at: http://www.todaystmj4.com/bloggers/lanceallan/50810032.html.

Scheduled to run during tonight's evening news will be a feature focused on the Van Sickle family, including father Gary and mother Betsy.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Van Sickle hosts free kids' clinic at U.S. Bank Championship, first round tee times set

Mike Van Sickle hosted a free children's golf clinic Tuesday at Brown Deer Park Golf Course in Milwaukee where it was Family Day at the U.S. Bank Championship.

The session included an introduction by Marquette University head men's golf coach Tim Grogan followed by golf instruction by Van Sickle and fan Q&A. Afterward, the former Golden Eagle signed autographs. Approximately 65 people attended the clinic.

Van Sickle will play in the U.S. Bank Championship Pro-Am on Wednesday. He will tee off his first round at 1:10 p.m. on Thursday, July 16 (starting on hole 10) and is paired with Casey Wittenberg and James Oh. More details will follow.

[And for those who were wondering...yes, Mike will be sporting MU gear and his MU golf bag.]

Van Sickle signs autographs during Family Day at the U.S. Bank Championship

Sunday, July 12, 2009

"A small taste of the good life ..."

Gary Van Sickle, who caddied for his son Mike Van Sickle as the former Marquette University star made his PGA debut last weekend at the John Deere Classic, wrote a column recounting Mike's first par on the PGA Tour, missed opportunities, interaction with Tour pros and a dream realized.

Check Gary's column at Golf.com: "A small taste of the good life ..."

Gary Van Sickle (left) and a young Mike Van Sickle at the driving range.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Quad-City Times Interview with Gary Van Sickle

Gary Van Sickle, the father of Mike Van Sickle and senior writer for Sports Illustrated, was featured in a Q&A by The Quad-City Times. Gary is caddying for his son this week in his PGA debut at the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill.

See "5 Questions with Gary Van Sickle" ...

The online version of the interview also has a nice photo of the two Van Sickles together on the 18th green following Mike's first round Thursday in which he shot a 1-under-par 70 at TPC Deere Run.

One of the top amateur players in the world, Van Sickle was 4-under through 11 holes Thursday and was two strokes off the lead, but bogeyed three of his last six holes

By the way, for you Twitter users, Gary (@gvansick) is providing updates from the JDC.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Van Sickle Tees Off Thursday at John Deere Classic in PGA debut

Mike Van Sickle’s childhood dream of playing in a PGA Tour event will become a reality Thursday afternoon when he takes to the 10th tee at TPC Deere Run for the first round of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. [Full Story]

Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote a column that describes Van Sickle's experiences so far this week (see "Van Sickle set to take Tour").

Van Sickle's father, Gary, also sounds off about his experience as Mike's caddy for the event in an article published earlier this week on Golf.com (see "Bag-Dad Diary: A golf writer's son makes his PGA Tour debut, with Pop as his looper")

Monday, June 29, 2009

Van Sickle Garners Sponsor's Exemption Into John Deere Classic

Recent Marquette University graduate Mike Van Sickle was awarded a sponsor’s exemption to play in the upcoming John Deere Classic, July 6-12, at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. It will mark the first of two PGA Tour events in July for Van Sickle, who will join Alabama-Birmingham graduate Zach Sucher in the Quad Cities-based tournament.

Van Sickle, who is currently ranked sixth in the R&A World Amateur Rankings, capped off his senior season at Marquette with First Team All-America and BIG EAST Player of the Year honors. He was also the winner of the prestigious Byron Nelson Award.

Earlier this month it was announced that Van Sickle and former Clemson star Kyle Stanley were given sponsor’s exemptions into the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, Wis., July 13-19.

[Full Story]

Thursday, June 18, 2009

All-Nicklaus Team Announced

The most-decorated golfer in Marquette history, Mike Van Sickle, earned national recognition yet again when the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) recently announced he was named to the 2009 All-Nicklaus Team. Van Sickle is one of 20 NCAA Division I, II, and III and NAIA players to be recognized for their outstanding play during the past collegiate season.

Link to press release on GoMarquette.com.


Jack Nicklaus (left) with Mike Van Sickle in Toledo, Ohio, following 
the presentation of the 2009 Byron Nelson Award.

Monday, June 8, 2009

U.S. Bank Championship grants Van Sickle sponsor's exemption

Mike Van Sickle will have his first opportunity to play in a PGA Tour event this July thanks to a sponsor exemption into the U.S. Bank Championship. This year's event will be July 13-19 at Brown Deer Park Golf Club in Milwaukee.

Check out the full story on www.GoMarquette.com. Writer Gary D'Amato also posted a story to his blog on JSOnline.com, while the USA Today picked it up off the AP wire.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Palmer Cup begins Thursday

Due to rain earlier in the week, the first day of Palmer Cup competition was pushed back by a day, and as a result the first round of Four Ball will now begin Thursday morning.

Live scoring is available for the duration of the tournament by going to www.palmercup.org and clicking on the "live scoring" button located on the left side of the home page.

Mike Van Sickle is teamed up with Stanford sophomore Steve Ziegler in the first round and will go up against the Italian twosome of Andrea Pavan of national champion Texas A&M and the University of Milan's Leonardo Motta.

On an additional note, UCLA's Eric Flores replaces Team USA's Jamie Lovemark of USC due to injury.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Van Sickle featured in Inside Wisconsin Sports

Mike Van Sickle was featured in the June edition of Inside Wisconsin Sports. In Bill Huber's story "Par for the Course," the Marquette all-American, along with the University of Wisconsin women's golfer Kelsey Verbeten, are profiled as the state's top collegiate players.

In the article, Huber gets Van Sickle to reveal his biggest strength on the golf course. "I hit it about 300 off the tee, but the other thing is the driver is one of straightest clubs in my bag," Van Sickle said. "I hit it a long way but I hit it quite accurately, which is a big advantage."
Inside Wisconsin Sports is available on newsstands throughout the state or by subscription.

Monday, June 1, 2009

PING All-America First Team announced

Mike Van Sickle was named to the PING All-America First Team, announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) following the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship. Van Sickle, who graduated in May as the most-decorated golfer in Marquette history, garnered PING All-America Honorable Mention accolades in each of his previous two seasons.ate events as a Golden Eagle. [full story]

PING All-America First Team (NCAA Division I)
Jorge Campillo, Indiana
Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State
Matthew Giles, Southern California
Matt Hill, N.C. State
Morgan Hoffman, Oklahoma State
Billy Horschel, Florida
Kyle Stanley, Clemson
Nick Taylor, Washington
Cameron Tringale, Georgia Tech
Mike Van Sickle, Marquette University

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Van Sickle Wins '09 Byron Nelson Award

MILWAUKEE – Mike Van Sickle has been named recipient of the 2009 Byron Nelson Award presented by Cleveland Golf/Srixon, it was announced Thursday at the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Van Sickle, a recent Marquette University graduate, edged four other finalists for the prestigious honor.

A Nelson Award candidate must be a graduating senior and the selection committee considers equally a nominee’s entire collegiate academic and golf career and his character and integrity while in college. Particular consideration will be given to a nominee’s good citizenship, as portrayed by legendary golfer Byron Nelson.

In addition to Van Sickle, this year’s finalists were joins Peter Malnati of Missouri, South Dakota State’s Trent Peterson, Cameron Tringale of Georgia Tech and Matthew Van Zandt of Texas A&M.

Click here to read the complete press release on GoMarquette.com.


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

VIDEO: WGN Lexus Long Drive


This video featuring Mike Van Sickle is from this week's "Lexus Long Drive," a weekly segment on Chicago's very own WGN -- a superstation that millions of cable viewers nationwide can see.

The interview took place May 18 at Conway Farms, site of this year's Western Amateur.

Link to video: http://www.wgntv.com/sports/lexuslongdrive/

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

D'Amato: 'Van Sickle maps out summer plans'

Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently spoke with Marquette University graduate Mike Van Sickle. The article (published May 21, 2009), also ran in the American Chronicle.

In the piece, Van Sickle details his plans to turn professional at the end of summer, as he plans to play in a number of prestigious amateur events in 2009. In addition, Van Sickle has inquired about the possibility of receiving an exemption to play in a few PGA Tour events, including the U.S. Bank Championship held annually at Brown Deer in Milwaukee.

Next up for Van Sickle, the Palmer Cup.

Link to article: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/goldeneagles/45806932.html

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Van Sickle Named MU's 'Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete'

Mike Van Sickle was named the male recipient of the Ralph H. Metcalfe Senior Outstanding Student-Athlete award Friday, given annually to the top senior student-athlete at Marquette.

The announcement was made at last night's Senior Athletics Awards Banquet. Van Sickle beat out men's basketball all-American Jerel McNeal, who also became MU's all-time leading scorer in 2008-09.

Click here for the official press release on the announcement.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Photo Gallery: NCAA Central Regional

Photos from the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Central Regional are now available on GoMarquette.com. Click here to view.

A first-round recap is also available.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

VIDEO: "Time Warner Sports 32 Weekly"

Check out this feature, which aired this past Tuesday on the local Time Warner Cable sports channel during "Sports32 Weekly."

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

AUDIO: Golfweek previews NCAA Central Regional

Golfweek breaks down each of the NCAA Regional tournaments this week on Golfweek.com. Check out "In-depth: Men's regionals," and also listen to the Central Regional podcast, featuring Asher Wildman and Lance Ringler, by clicking on the play button below.






Monday, May 11, 2009

Pic of first pitch at Miller Park

Mike Van Sickle's first pitch at Miller Park this past Friday looked like it caught the outside corner. It came in front of 42, 045 fans who were there to watch the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs, and "American Idol" sensation Danny Gokey, who performed the national anthem.

Below is a photo of the first pitch courtesy of the Milwaukee Brewers ...

VIDEO: "This is SportsTime" with MUTV

Marquette University's student-run television station MUTV was out last week to film a couple of videos with classmate Mike Van Sickle. These were promos for their show "SportsTime." This video with sports anchor Brad Galli was filmed on campus on top of the Al McGuire Center. Check it out ...

Friday, May 8, 2009

VIDEO: Fox 6 news feature with Tom Pipines

Mike Van Sickle was recently profiled by Tom Pipines of the local Fox affiliate in Milwaukee, WITI-TV 6.

Click here to view the video, which ran May 5, or click on the thumbnail image below...

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Van Sickle, Hoffman honored by SGA

Marquette senior Mike Van Sickle and Oklahoma State freshman Morgan Hoffman have been named co-National Amateurs of the Month for April, it was announced Wednesday by the Southern Golf Association.

Click to read full story ...

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Nelson Award finalists announced

Mike Van Sickle learned Tuesday that he was one of five college seniors to be named as a finalist for the 2009 Byron Nelson Award. Tuesday's announcement came from Dustin Roberts of GCAA. Other finalists include Peter Malnati of Missouri, South Dakota State’s Trent Peterson, Cameron Tringale of Georgia Tech and Matthew Van Zandt of Texas A&M.

Click here for the complete press release from GoMarquette.com.

Van Sickle to throw out first pitch at Miller Park this Friday

Mike Van Sickle has accepted an invitation to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at Miller Park this Friday, May 8, where the Milwaukee Brewers are scheduled to host their N.L. Central Division rival the Chicago Cubs at 7:05 p.m.

A limited number of tickets were still available for the game. To purchase tickets, visit the Milwaukee Brewers website or call the Brewers phone center at 414-902-4000. Normal hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Monday, May 4, 2009

MU senior top seed in NCAA Regional

Marquette University senior Mike Van Sickle has been invited to participate in one of six regional tournaments to open the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship. Van Sickle is the top-seeded individual qualifier for the three-day, 54-hole regional tournament to be held May 14-16, in Bowling Green, Ky.

Click here for the official Marquette press release ...

Van Sickle featured by Associated Press

Chris Jenkins of the Associated Press interviewed Mike Van Sickle last week and wrote an article titled, "Marquette's Van Sickle becoming PGA Tour prospect," which was picked up by numerous national media outlets over the weekend.

The article ran Sunday, May 3 on GoMarquette.com. It was also picked up over the weekend by the online editions of Sporting News and USA Today, in addition to ESPN.com and Golf.com.

A video was also produced by the AP, featuring the interview with Van Sickle and Marquette head men's golf coach Tim Grogan.


Sunday, May 3, 2009

OnMilwaukee.com's Wagner profiles Van Sickle's career as a Golden Eagle

Drew Wagner of OnMilwaukee.com recently profiled Marquette senior Mike Van Sickle. Wagner's story is titled, " Van Sickle eyeing future success after stellar career at Marquette."

Check out the feature, which ran Sunday May 3, by clicking here or on the image below...

Friday, May 1, 2009

Marquette Tribune: Van Sickle No. 1 sports story of 2008-09

A column written by John Borneman in Thursday's print and online editions of the Marquette Tribune ranking Marquette University's top-10 sports stories of 2008-09 listed Mike Van Sickle at the top spot, ahead of new men's basketball coach Buzz Williams and his senior backcourt.

Here is the link:
http://media.www.marquettetribune.org/media/storage/paper1130/news/2009/04/30/Sports/Top-10.Sports.Stories.Of.200809-3730829.shtml

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Van Sickle BIG EAST Player of the Year

It was announced today that Mike Van Sickle was a unanimous selection as the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year. He was also named to the 11-member All-BIG EAST team. 

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Van Sickle named to USA Palmer Cup team

Marquette University senior Mike Van Sickle was one of eight individuals selected to play for the United States in the 2009 Palmer Cup, a match-play Ryder Cup-style competition between the best college golfers from the United States and Europe.

Selections were announced Thursday on Golfweek.com
by Dustin Roberts of the Golf Coaches Association of America. Named after legendary golfer Arnold Palmer (who is scheduled to attend the event), this year's Palmer Cup will be held June 3-5 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo.

“I'm very excited about this opportunity,” said Van Sickle. “I was really hoping that I would make the team and it became a goal of mine at the beginning of the season. This is one of those tangible rewards for all off the hard work and time you put in behind the scenes. My play this last year has improved across the board, and to accomplish that goal is very gratifying. It seems like it's going to be really strong field.”

Here is a link to the official Marquette press release: http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/042309aaa.html

Link to Golfweek.com video: http://www.golfweektv.com/lances_room.asp?CATEGORY_ID=99&ID=5413&FMT=WM

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

VIDEO: Recap of the BIG EAST Men's Golf Championship

MUTV's Brad Galli interviewed Mike Van Sickle today to get his thoughts on the BIG EAST Men's Golf Championship and his runner-up finish. Check out the video, which is now posted on the MUTV Sports blog.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Van Sickle tied atop leaderboard at BIG EAST Men's Golf Championship

DADE CITY, Fla. -- With a low-round 5-under-par 67 yesterday at the BIG EAST Conference Men's Golf Championship, Marquette's Mike Van Sickle now shares the lead with Louisville's Adam Hadwin at 4-under 140 for the tournament.

Click here for a Day Two recap (GoMarquette.com)...

Live scoring for Tuesday's final at the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club is available at Golfstat.com.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Van Sickle featured in hometown paper

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette wrote a great article on Mike Van Sickle which appeared in this morning's paper. Dulac recaps the amazing year Van Sickle has had thus far, starting with his strong play on the amateur circuits this past summer.

Dulac also points out that Van Sickle, who lists his hometown as Wexford, Pa., is in consideration for many of college and amateur golf's top year-end awards, but notes the struggles of getting noticed when you're a golfer competing at a school not traditionally know for golf or compete in a conference that isn't considered a power conference in collegiate golf.

Read Gerry Dulac's story online: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09109/963554-136.stm

Live Scoring for BIG EAST Championship

Live scoring will be available for the 2009 BIG EAST Men's Golf Championships, which begins today. Mike Van Sickle has a 9:20 a.m. (CT) tee time for today's first round at the South Course of Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club in Dade City, Fla.

Link to live scoring: http://www.golfstatresults.com/public/index.cfm?tournament_id=1389

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Van Sickle scheduled to speak at Western Amateur media day


I was informed earlier this week that Mike Van Sickle has agreed to speak at the 2009 Western Amateur media day, slated for May 18 at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill.

There will be a breakfast at the golf course the morning of May 18, one day after Mike receives his college degree at the Marquette University commencement ceremony, followed by a question-and-answer session with Mike.

Mike is also scheduled to play in the event which will be held August 3-8, 2009.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Five wins this season tops in nation

I received confirmation from Mark at Golfstat that Mike's five wins this season lead NCAA Division I. Matt Hill of N.C State has posted four victories this year.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

VIDEO: Van Sickle named semifinalist for Ben Hogan Award

Mike Van Sickle has been selected as one of 10 semifinalists for the 2009 The Ben Hogan Award presented by Chesapeake Energy, in association with the Colonial Country Club and The Friends of Golf (FOG), it was announced Thursday by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).


Other semifinalists for this year’s honor are Jorge Campillo (Indiana), Bud Cauley (Alabama), Rickie Fowler (Oklahoma State), Matthew Giles (USC), Morgan Hoffman (Oklahoma State), Billy Horschel (Florida), Kyle Stanley (Clemson), Nick Taylor (Washington) and Cameron Tringale (Georgia Tech).

The announcement was made by the GCAA on a special show on Golfweek.com, hosted by Asher Wildman. Click on the image below to link to the video:

BIG EAST Golfer of the Week

Mike Van Sickle earned BIG EAST Conference Golfer of the Week honors for the third time this spring, the league announced late this morning. Van Sickle was named as a semifinalist for The Ben Hogan Award earlier today.

Both announcements come after Van Sickle captured his 11th collegiate victory, fifth title this season, by winning the Palisades Collegiate Classic with a score of 16-under-par 200 (69-65-66).

Link to MU press release: http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/041609aab.html

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

AUDIO: "Lance & Asher Show" shout out

Mike Van Sickle received a shout out from Asher Wildman of Golfweek during the latest "Asher & Lance Show." The show, which also features Lance Ringler as co-host airs as a podcast on Golfweek.com (where you can also find a link to the podcast).

Fast forward to about 10:25, which is right near the end of the show.

Direct link to audio: http://www.golfweektv.com/podcasts/college-lanceNasher-041509.mp3

Van Sickle featured in Marquette magazine

Mike Van Sickle was featured in the Spring 2009 edition of Marquette magazine, which I received in my campus mailbox earlier this week.

"Ace: Van Sickle shows real drive," appears on page nine. click the image to the right for a direct link to the online verson.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Van Sickle Rallies For 11th Collegiate Win

Update (6:04 p.m.): Link to complete recap/results

Although complete results will not be available until later this evening, I have confirmed that Mike Van Sickle has won the Palisades Collegiate Classic at Palisades Country Club in Charlotte, N.C.

Mike won by two strokes Tuesday , closing with a pair of birdies to fire a final-round 66. He finished at 16-under-par 200, one stroke shy of matching his all-time low in a 54-hole event.

I spoke with Mike's father Gary , who was still at the golf course while the final groups were wrapping up for the day, around 3:30 p.m. CT.

I later called the clubhouse -- after all golfers were finished competing -- to confirm that Mike indeed had won the event.

It's his 11th collegiate victory -- a school record -- and fifth this season. Congrats, Mike, on another great tournament.

Van Sickle goes head-to-head with columnist

John Borneman of The Marquette Tribune played 18 holes with Mike Van Sickle and two other MU teammates this past Thursday. Borneman wrote a column about the experience, which appears in today's edition of the Tribune, "Van Sickle will be MU's next great alum."

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Live scoring not available at Palisades

Just a heads up, it appears as though live scoring will not be available for the Palisades Collegiate Classic, which begins Monday. A brief recap and complete results will be available at GoMarquette.com as soon as they are received.

Golfers will play 36 holes Monday followed by final round of 18 on Tuesday. Monday's weather forecast for Charlotte calls for an 80 percent chance of rain and also a chance for thunderstorms on Tuesday.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

NCAA Division I Statistics Leaders

According to the latest NCAA Division I statistics rankings released by Golfstat (April 3, 2009), Mike Van Sickle continues to lead the nation in birdies (129), in addition to par-4 scoring (3.96) and sub-par strokes per round (5.22).

Van Sickle also currently ranks third in putting par (-2.17) and birdie conversion (.378); fifth in putts on greens in regulation (1.722); and seventh in greens in regulation (.744) and eagles (6).

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Ben Hogan semifinalists announced April 16

Semifinalists for the 2009 Ben Hogan Award are scheduled to be announced on April 16, not on April 6 as was originally reported on GoMarquette.com.

Mike Van Sickle became the first Marquette golfer to be named to the Ben Hogan Award watch list when the list was released back in February.

The Ben Hogan Award is given to the best collegiate golfer, taking into consideration all collegiate and amateur events played in a 12-month period.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Low Rounds

As I was updating Marquette's season statistics today, I came across another interesting fact ... Although, all-around, this past weekend's FAU Spring Break Championship was not a particularly favorable showing for the Golden Eagles, Mike Van Sickle still managed to close with nine birdies and finish his final round with a 6-under par 65.

That matches the third lowest round all-time by a Marquette player. In fact, three of the four lowest scores ever recorded by an MU players were recorded by Van Sickle THIS YEAR.

His 63 to come back an win the Western Refining All-America classic back in November tied Mike Bielawski's school record. Earlier this season, Van Sickle carded a 64 en route to dominating the Xavier Invitational, where he won by eight strokes.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

FAU Spring Break Championship Preview

A preview of the FAU Spring Break Championship is now posted on GoMarquette.com. Marquette will be among 14 schools, including in-state rival Wisconsin, competing this weekend at Gleneagles Country Club in Deray Beach, Fla.

Click here for the full tournament preview

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

New Golfstat Cup Standings Released ...

The latest Golfstat Cup standings were released yesterday (March 24). Mike Van Sickle has moved up to No. 2, behind USC's Matthew Giles and narrowly ahead of Indiana's Jorge Campillo.

Here's how the top 5 looks right now:
1) Matthew Giles, USC (70.44)
2) Mike Van Sickle, Marquette (+0.423)
3) Jorge Campillo, Indiana (+0.484)
4) Justin Hueber, U. of Indy (+0.648)
5) Jamie Lovemark, USC) (+0.729)

See the up-to-date Golfstat Cup standings here: 
http://www.golfstat.com/2008-2009/men/mgscup/mgscup.htm

Monday, March 23, 2009

Cross-Promotion

I was just reading Lance Ringler's blog (Blog U.) on Golfweek.com. I sent Lance the link to this blog, and well, you guessed it -- he blogged about it.

Lance discusses how more schools' athletic communications departments are using technology and social networking sites -- such as facebook.com -- to promote its teams and student-athletes. As he put it, "It's all about staying connected." 

On his March 19, 2009 post, Lance also promises to open a Twitter account. Keeping up with the Jones' is one thing, but I don't think we'll see Mike Van Sickle "tweeting" from the golf course anytime soon.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

BIG EAST Weekly Release

The BIG EAST Conference posted its first men's golf update of the 2009 spring season this past Friday. It provides a quick recap on each school and their performances.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Mike Named BIG EAST Golfer of the Week For 2nd Straight Week

More awards for Mike ... For the second consecutive week, Mike was named the BIG EAST Conference Golfer of the Week. Van Sickle finished tied for third place at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate By Gatorade, which wrapped up on Tuesday.

Here is the link to complete press release: http://www.gomarquette.com/index-main.html

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Inside the Numbers ...

I received a text message from Marquette head coach Tim Grogan at 7:25 a.m. CT asking me to compile some quick career bullet-points for Mike, focusing primarily on his finish in tournaments and consistency in scoring low throughout his career.

I thought I would share what I came up with (through his first two rounds at Pinehurst).

Mike has played 126 career rounds and has:
- shot in the 60s a total of 37 times (10 times this season; 13 times last season).

- recorded par-or-better in 78 of 126 (61.9 percent) career rounds.


- owns 31 top-10 finishes in 44 collegiate events (22 top-5 finishes; 16 top-3 finishes; five runner-ups; 10 victories).


- a career finish pct is 84.7 (97.9 percent this season).

Monday, March 16, 2009

VIDEO: Van Sickle Featured In This Week's "Off Campus" with Asher Wildman of Golfweek


Click here to watch the video at www.golfweektv.com.

I received an email today from Lance Ringler at Golfweek who notified me that this week's "Off Campus" show was a feature with Marquette senior Mike Van Sickle.

Golfweek's Asher Wildman -- the host of this week's show -- interviewed Mike during the Ron Smith USF Invitational held March 6-8 at Lake Jovta in Dade City, Fla., where Mike tied for third place with a 6-under 210.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Pinehurst Intercollegiate By Gatorade begins Sunday

Mike will go head-to-head with Wichita State's Dustin Garza beginning today when the two all-Americans tee off at the 2009 Pinehurst Intercollegiate by Gatorade. Garza led this year's Golfstat Cup standings after the fall season. Garza has since slipped to the No. 6 spot, while Van Sickle currently ranks No. 3 behind Indiana's Jorge Campillo and top-rated Matthew Giles of USC.

Live Scoring
of the tournament is available at www.golfstat.com

Friday, March 13, 2009

Van Sickle Among National Leaders in Several Categories, According to Recent Golfstat Report

The most recent "Statistical Comparison Rankings" have been released by Golfstat. It was revealed that Mike boasts the lowest scoring average in the nation at 69.38 and leads all collegiate golfers in total number of birdies (106) and sub-par strokes per round (5.52).

Download (PDF) the full report on www.GoMarquette.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Van Sickle Named BIG EAST Player of the Week

Mike was named the BIG EAST Conference Golfer of the Week league officials announced on Thursday, March 12. It's the first award of the 2009 men's golf season to be given by the conference.

He finished tied for third at the Ron Smith USF Invitational held this past weekend at Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club in Dade City, Fla. He was the only Marquette player to score under par in each of the three rounds and was the top individual finisher among BIG EAST players in the event.

Read the entire Marquette press release here.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Marquette Tribune - USF Invite preview

Below is a link to Peter Worth's article that is a preview of the Ron Smith USF Invitational...

Van Sickle looking for three-peat - Sports

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Feb. 28 Golfweek


Mike was featured in a four-page spread in the Feb. 28, 2009 edition of Golfweek.

The back story on this that the photo shoot and interview was done in Florida over Marquette's winter break. This story appears in the "For Your Game" segment of the publication and is titled, "Late-Blooming Mike Van Sickle Polishes Technical Side."

In the article, Mike talks about putting, wedge play getting out of the sand and various short-game techniques. It also addresses the mental side of golf and how Mike has learned to corral his aggressiveness.

Read the full article here: http://golfweek.texterity.com/golfweekmag/20090228/?pg=34

Enjoy.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Van Sickle Back On Top of Golfstat Cup Standings

Mike is back on top of the Golfstat Cup ratings. The Golfstat Cup Award is administered by Golfstat, Inc., and is given to the collegiate player (NCAA Divisions I, II, or III, NAIA and junior colleges), who boasts the best scoring average versus par.

This week's Golfstat Cup standings are located here:
http://www.golfstat.com/2008-2009/men/mgscup/mgscup.htm

Past recipients of the Golfstat Cup Award include present all-Americans Jamie Lovemark (USC) and Rickie Fowler (Oklahoma State), who took home the honor in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Tiger Woods (Stanford) won the award in 1996.

Mike had led the Golfstat Cup standings briefly during the 2008 fall season, but Dustin Garza (Wichita State) had overtaken the lead by the turn of the year.

A player needs to play a total of 20 rounds in order to be eligible for the honor at the end of the year. Mike has already played 18 rounds with at least five team events scheduled for the spring.

The Golfstat Cup standings will be updated every Monday through the conclusion of the fall season.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Journal Sentinel's D'Amato picks up on yesterday's release

Golf beat writer Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a column on Mike Van Sickle being named to the 2009 watch list for The Ben Hogan Award. D'Amato goes on to briefly recap Mike's remarkable season thus far.

Link to the story at JS Online (Feb. 13, 2009): http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/39554452.html

Monday, February 9, 2009

Van Sickle named to Hogan Award watch list

Mike Van Sickle was just named to The Ben Hogan Award watch list for 2009. The award is perhaps the prestigious in men's collegiate golf as it honors the top player over the past 12 months, taking into consideration all collegiate and amateur events.

Mike was one of 22 players named to the watch list. Read the full Marquette University press release here: http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/021209aaa.html

Sunday, February 8, 2009

'09 Player of the Year?



I received the Feb. 7, 2009 edition of Golfweek and noticed in the publication's "Spring Preview" section that Ron Balicki and Asher Wildman have predicted that Mike Van Sickle will take home 2009 player of the year honors under "Staff Picks." Lance Ringler chose Indiana's Jorge Campillo.

Van Sickle won four out of the six collegiate events in which he participated in this past fall season, including three straight victories capped off by the Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic title in November.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Van Sickle Honored At MU Men's Basketball Game


Mike Van Sickle was honored at half court during a timeout in last night's Marquette home game against DePaul at the Bradley Center. He was honored for winning the Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic in El Paso, Texas this past November. Mike and the rest of Marquette's 2007-08 BIG EAST Championship team will be honored during the Feb. 25 men's basketball game against UConn.