Courtesy of Eric Zedalis, Goldey-Beacom SID

WILMINGTON, DE – Michael Tobiason, Jr., a former two-time All-American golfer at Goldey-Beacom College and recently just the fourth Delawarean to play in the U.S. Open, was named the Lightning’s Interim Head Golf Coach on Tuesday, August 30. John Asbell, who coached GBC for five years, has resigned.

“Our golf program had tremendous success under John Asbell, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Director of Athletics Chuck Hammond said. “We are delighted, though, to have such a talented golf professional in Michael Tobiason, Jr. to assume the post. I’m confident that Mike’s professional playing on the national stage and his teaching experience will serve our golf program very well.”

Under Asbell, the GBC golf team advanced to the NCAA Regionals four of the last five seasons, including a fifth-place showing at the 2006-07 tournament. The Lightning placed in the top-three at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference all five years and nine different golfers earned All-CACC accolades in that span. Asbell was named CACC Coach of the Year in 2008-09 for his efforts.

The Lightning golf team flourished during Tobiason’s unprecedented collegiate career at Goldey-Beacom. Tobiason won medalist honors at the CACC Championship in each of his four years at GBC, and the Lightning won conference team titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2006, GBC became the first CACC team to advance to the NCAA Division II National Championship after taking first place at the NCAA Super Regional.

The 27-year old Tobiason turned professional in 2006 and has been playing on the Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour ever since. He has also held a teaching job at the Eric MacCluen Golf Academy at Applecross Country Club in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

This past June, Tobiason earned a spot in the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland by virtue of a third-place finish at a sectional qualifying tournament at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. He was met with a whirlwind of media attention when the uplifting story of how his perseverance and dedication led to his first-ever appearance in a PGA Tour event earned him the national spotlight. He was featured in the Wilmington News Journal for seven consecutive days and several larger newspapers also published stories on him, including the Washington Post and New York Times. A film crew from Golf Channel followed him in Wilmington (his hometown) and at the Open, and the network aired a feature story on him twice during the tournament.

Tobiason met with the team on Tuesday, and told them: “You guys already have a good thing going here, and I would just like to help make each and every one of you better players. I know what it takes, and I can help get you to where you want to be.”

The Lightning open the season on Sept. 14 at the Chestnut Hill College Fall Classic.