MOSCOW, Idaho – Vandal men's golf returns to action Monday with a chance to defend a tournament title at the SIUE Dolenc Invitational at the Gateway National Golf Links in Madison, Illinois, just across the Mississippi from St. Louis.
 
The Vandals won last year's event by two strokes over Big Sky foe Weber State. Joe Sykes led the way, finishing fourth in the field, finishing with a final-round 67.
 
This season, Sykes returns to lead the Vandals at the tournament along with his fellow sophomore Englishman Sam Johnson. Johnson T7th at the season opening Ram Masters Invitational in Fort Collins, Colorado.
 
Dalton Dean was Idaho's top finisher at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invite on Sept. 10-12 in Colorado Springs and will start in the third spot for the Vandals.
 
Johannes Hounsgaard and Matt McGann round out the lineup for the Vandals in the tournament.
 
The tournament field includes Big Sky, Southland, Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley Conference schools.
 
The course is considered one of the best public courses in the St. Louis area and opened in 1992. The links style course will play at just over 6,900 yards at par-71. The teams will play 36 holes Monday before finishing with 18 on Tuesday.
 
Live scoring will be available via golfstat.