Ferris prides itself on making campus as widely diverse as possible with students from all different types of backgrounds and ethnicities, and the very same goes for athletics.
The Ferris State men’s golf team announced the addition of incoming freshman Jason Martinus from Jakarta, Indonesia on Aug. 17. Fresh off his nineteenth birthday on Sept. 1, Martinus is very excited to join the already successful Bulldogs golf team.
“I think I will do my best to give the team a positive vibe and always be there whenever the team is down or up,” Martinus said. “I am looking forward to the traveling part to different tournaments around the states and get that different environment, it’s just a priceless moment.”
M a r t i n u s qualified for the Indonesia Open Asian Development Tour in 2016 as an amateur. Martinus, who’s lowest round is 69, finished top five in the Jakarta World Cup in 2011. He also qualified three times to play in the Callaway Junior Worlds in San Diego.
“We are very excited to welcome Jason to the Bulldog family. He is a very solid player that will help the team grow and compete,” senior Jack Weller said. “We’ve got a young team this year, in age but also with college tournament experience. It’s going to be a new adjustment for the freshmen and new players. I have full confidence they are all solid players and will adapt and be ready to play by the first event.”
The Dawgs have been preparing for the fall season, coming off busy summer schedules filled with a lot of practice and tournaments on their own. With everyone back on campus, the focus turned to working hard at getting on the same page so that everyone is ready to play their best golf.
“I was going through hard times during my first couple days here, but I feel better now because of my teammates and now I feel Ferris is my second home,” Martinus said.
The Ferris State men’s golf team had an impressive last season that saw them win four tournaments overall and finish ranked in the top 10. To top it off, the Dawgs advanced to the national quarterfinals at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II National Championships in Florida last May, their first national championship since 2010.
The Bulldogs will look for the same success under second year coach Kyle Wittenbach this season.
Fans can catch the Bulldogs for the first time this Fall when they head to Bay City for their first tournament Sept. 9-10.