BLACKSBURG – Ahead of the start of the 2022-23 season, Virginia Tech men's golf returns a roster that's mixed with five upperclassmen, including two fifth years, and three underclassmen. That blend of experience will be put to the test at this weekend's Fighting Irish Classic, which gets underway Sunday at the Warren Golf Course in South Bend, Indiana.
Tech found plenty of success over the course of the 2021-22 season. The Hokies finished in fifth place or better in four tournaments and in sixth place twice. Notable team performances included Tech's top three finishes at the Old Town Club Intercollegiate and the Wolfpack Intercollegiate. In Raleigh, standout returner Daniel Azallion placed in a tie for fourth place, which marked the third top-five finish of his career.
Azallion, now a senior for the Hokies, will look to be one of Tech's top golfers. In 2021-22, Azallion finished with a 71.53 scoring average, the second best on the team. He also placed inside the top 20 five times with 18 total par or better performances. Azallion will be one of the team leaders and try to build upon the stellar results of his past season. He is set to play at No. 1 for the season-opening event.
Charlie Hanson is a name to keep an eye on in 2022. The junior competed in four events in 2021 and finished with a 71.83 scoring average, which ranked fourth on the team. Hanson broke out in his first event down at the Old Town Club Collegiate. He recorded a 3-under 207 to tie for 19th place and give him his only top-20 placement of the season. Hanson will play in the No. 2 slot this weekend.
Fellow junior Kobe Valociek returns for his third season with the Hokies. Valociek participated in seven events and finished with a scoring average of 72.96. Like Hanson, Valociek found success at the Old Town Club Collegiate. In Winston-Salem, Valociek finished in fourth place and shot 9-under 201 with 12 birdies and an incredible hole-in-one. Valociek also finished inside the top 30 two more times last season.
Drew Brockwell comes in as another one of the Hokie veterans for the 2022-23 season. As a senior, Brockwell registered seven events and recorded a 73.14 scoring average. His season-best performance came in round two of the Dorado Beach Intercollegiate. Brockwell concluded the tournament at 2-under 214 to tie for 22nd place. The fifth year is set to compete in the No. 3 position at Notre Dame.
After not competing in an event in 2021-22, Cameron Moore will return to the fold as a fifth-year golfer for the Hokies and in the No. 4 position this weekend. His 2021 season saw Moore score a 73.43 scoring average, fourth-best on the team, over seven events he played in. At the 2021 Oldfield Invitational, Moore compiled a score of 5-under 67 in the opening round of the tournament.
David Stanford is back and looking to improve upon his freshman campaign. Last season, Stanford competed in five events and finished with a 74.53 average. His best score of the season came at the Rod Myers Invitational. Stanford came in 22nd place and finished at 1-under 217 with four birdies. The Vienna, Va., native will compete at No. 5 for the Hokies this weekend.
Mehrbaan Singh is one of the two newcomers to Tech men's golf in 2022-23. Hailing from Alexandria, Va., Singh was a three-time letterman and two-time state champion at Independence. He took home first place at the Rolex Tournament of Champions and qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur this past summer.
Balthazar Duclos is the other new arrival for the Hokies. Duclos makes his way to Blacksburg from Garches, France. Because the country does not have high school golf teams or tournaments, Duclos played for one of France's under-16 teams that competed for the French national title. Duclos was on the Golf de St. Cloud team that won the national title in 2018.
The Hokies are set to open the season at the Fighting Irish Classic in South Bend, Indiana on September 4th and 5th. The Warren Golf Course is a par 70 course and measures 7,023 yards.
In addition to VT and Notre Dame, ACC counterpart North Carolina is also entered into this weekend's field.
Tech is paired with Iowa and Georgia Southern for Sunday's first and second rounds. Golfers will play 36 holes on Sunday and 18 holes on Monday to finish out the competition. Live scoring will be provided by Golfstat.
Fighting Irish Classic
Date: September 4-5
Host Course: Warren Golf Course (South Bend, Ind.)
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,023
Tournament Lineup
Live Scoring
