FGCU senior to represent team at NCAA golf tournament

FORT MYERS, Fla. — For the first time in six years, the FGCU golf team will have a representative at an NCAA tournament.

The hot streak started at the Old Corkscrew Golf Course and the Eagle’s one and only home tournament this season. The momentum carried over to the ASUN Championship Georgia.

Most golf shots are close to impossible to predict, but for FGCU senior Van Holmgren — his match sealing putt was seen a mile away.

“I was standing by my assistant coach at the time. I looked at Austin and I said ‘he’s going to make this’ and Austin said ‘of course,” FGCU head Men’s golf coach Andrew Danna said.

That birdie putt is what sealed Holmgren’s win and the Eagle’s first individual ASUN tournament championship. It also made him the fourth eagle to stretch his wings and qualify for the NCAA tournament, but the first with an automatic bid.

“I knew that if it was my last tournament officially for the University that it would be fun to go out with a bang,” Holmgren said.

The win secured him one more tournament in green and blue and a national platform to showcase how far his team has come.

“I’ve got some goals in mind,” Holmgren said. “I think it will be fun to let people know where the program is heading.”

The Eagles have jumped nearly 200 spots in the national rankings and Van’s NCAA tournament berth is further validation of a bright future.

“I think it is a huge honor and I think it is kind of fun because going forward their are going to be a lot more of those,” Holmgren said.

For now, the spotlight is all his following the ASUN title and last weekend getting one step closer to a US Open berth after shooting a 65 to advance to the US Open sectionals, turning up the heat at the perfect time.

Van will take the course in Tennessee beginning on Monday. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the NCAA championships.

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