RIO VERDE, Ariz. – The Western Michigan golf team hosts the 19th annual Rio Verde Invitational at the Rio Verde Golf Club beginning on Friday.
 
Live scoring is available at www.GolfStat.com.
 
The Broncos are one of 18 teams competing at this year's tournament, which takes place on the White Wing Course that measures 6,001 yards and is a par 72. The field fills out with Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Bradley, Butler, Cal Baptist, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Kennesaw State, Loyola (Ill.), Missouri State, Oakland, Ohio, South Dakota, Wichita State and Xavier.
 
The opening round begins at 2:30 p.m. ET, with the second round on Saturday and final round on Sunday starting at 10:30 a.m. ET.
 
INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
Of the 18 teams competing there are athletes representing 19 foreign countries and every continent except Antarctica. The teams boast student-athletes from Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand.
 
NO DEFENDING CHAMPION
Due to COVID-19 the Rio Verde Invitational was not held last season. The last team to win the tournament was Arkansas State back in 2020. The Red Wolves combined to shoot an 880 (+16), nearly tying the tournament three-round record or 875 set by Notre Dame back in 2008. The individual medalist was ASU's Grayson Gladden.  
 
THE FIRST OF MANY
This is the first Rio Verde Invitational for Western Michigan's second-year head coach Kim Moore. Moore was hired back in November of 2020 and navigated the Broncos through the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 season.
 
BACK TO STROKE PLAY
The Rio Verde Invitational is WMU's first stroke-play tournament of 2022. The Broncos resumed play back at the start of the month, traveling down to Lakewood Ranch, Fla., for the Mid-American Match Play Challenge, going 2-2 in the tournament.
 
The Broncos were last in action in stroke play back on Oct. 18-19 at the Braun Intercollegiate, hosted by Evansville. WMU had its season-best finish, tying for third place. Western Michigan has two top-five finishes on the season, taking fifth overall at the EMU's Shirley Spork Invitational.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Western Michigan heads to Indianapolis, Ind., and Butler University for the Don Benbow Collegiate on March 7-8.