The Linfield men’s golf team enters the 2012-13 season with great expectations after last year’s successful run that ended with a fourth Northwest Conference championship in five years. 

Seven lettermen return from last season’s club that went on to earn the highest finish at a NCAA championship event in program history.

All-conference performers Taylor Klopp and Connor Magnuson should be mainstays for the Wildcats as well as national-championship tournament veterans A.J. Taylor and Tommy Schmitz.

“We have a very deep pool of talent returning and some great looking freshmen as well,” said Wildcats coach Greg Copeland. “It’s going to be a very competitive fall just to see who earns the right to play. But what a great problem that is to have.”

With four NWC titles over the last five years, Linfield has clearly established itself as an annual contender. Yet the expectation of this year club is to not only to win the conference championship, but to compete for the national championship as well.

A competitive fall schedule awaits the Wildcats during the fall portion of the season, including tournaments at Chambers Bay near Tacoma, Wash. (site of 2015 U.S. Open), and Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla.  The first tournament is scheduled for Quail Valley Golf Course on September 22-23 where the ‘Cats will compete against several other conference programs.