WQIO Ohio's Super Station
ROCHESTER, NY – The Kenyon College men’s golf team participated in its first 54-hole tournament of the young season over the weekend, heading to New York to play in the Flower City Preview hosted by St. John Fisher, with the field consisting of 18 teams and 90 individual golfers from around Division III.
Led by sophomore Jonathan Oakes, the Owls finished in a tie for ninth over the three days of competition, registering a final team score of 880, or 16 over par.
In round one of the tournament played at Midvale Country Club, Oakes rattled off birdies on holes three, four, five, and six to rally for a 33 on the front nine. He matched that score on the back for a six-under 66, the second-best overall score to par after the first round.
During the second round, also at Midvale, Oakes made two birdies and two bogeys on the front but came back with a bogey-free 35 on the back nine to lead the Owls at seven-under-par after the opening rounds, the only player in red figures for the team.
Will Hulsey was Kenyon’s second-best finisher after day one, making four birdies and four bogeys per side for a 72 in round one, and backed it up with a solid 75 after round two. First-year Adrian Jordan was up next, shooting 73 and 75 respectively. After an under-par 71 first round, Jaiden Koonar struggled on the second 18 holes for a 79, finishing fourth on the team. Oliver McGovern steadily shot 75 and 76 to slide into the fifth spot for the Owls.
After day one, Kenyon sat at nine over par after the first two rounds, claiming eleventh place after the first 36 holes.
The final round was played at Cobblestone Creek Country Club, and proved to be the more difficult track for the Owls, as no player finished under par for the day. However, Kenyon was still able to post solid scores, as Hulsey paced the team with a one-over-par 73. He carded a 39 on the front nine but shot the Owls’ best nine of the day on the back, shooting an impressive 34.
As for the rest of the team, Oakes followed in second with a 74, while Jordan shot 76, McGovern carded a 78 and Koonar finished the group with a 79.
Individually, Oakes was Kenyon’s top finisher at five under in 54 holes, good enough for a tie for eighth. Hulsey finished in a tie for 37th with a four-over score, while Jordan’s eight-over-par card put him in 54th. Both McGovern and Koonar finished 68th for the weekend at 13 over.
As a team, the Owls tallied 880 strokes for the three rounds, which is 16 over par, tying Bethel University (MN) for the ninth-place finish. Emory took the top spot, clearing the field with a 31-under-par score. Illinois Wesleyan (-19) took second, while Methodist (-17) rounded out the podium.
Kenyon will return to competition on Monday, September 30 for the Gate City Invitational in Greensboro, North Carolina. The two-day, three-round tournament will take place at Forest Oaks Country Club, hosted by Greensboro College.
