The Kent State men’s golf team carried over momentum from the fall to open its spring season, placing second at the Hal Williams Intercollegiate in Mobile, Ala.
The Flashes shot a 24-under-par 828 to beat out 11 of the 13 teams. They finished just one stroke behind Southern Methodist University, who won the competition.
“It was nice to come back and be in a position to win,” coach Jon Mills said.
This was the Flashes’ first tournament following a win at the Flyer Invitational in late October to close their fall season.
Mills said hard work over winter break and ending the fall season on such a high note contributed to the successful performance this week.
“From winning in the fall to playing individual tournaments in the winter, the guys kept up on their skill,” Mills said. “But you still never know what you’ll get after a long break, so it was nice for them to go and prove it.”
Day one
The first two rounds of the tournament were held back to back on Monday.
Senior Jordan Gilkison led the Flashes, recording a four-under-par 67 in round one and a two-under-par 69 in round two. At the end of the day, he stood tied for sixth place among 75 players at a six-under-par 136.
Freshman Isaiah Ibit and senior Bryce Reed also landed within the top 10.
Ibit concluded day one tied for eighth place at a five-under-par 137 after a three-under-par 68 round one and a two-under-par 69 round two.
Reed, who was competing in the tournament as an individual, sat tied for 10th at a four-under-par 138. He shot an even-par 71 in round one, and a four-under-par 67 in round two.
As a team, the Flashes finished the day 12 under par after two rounds to sit in second place. They trailed SMU, who finished the day at 20 under par.
Day two
The third and final round of the tournament followed on Tuesday.
The Flashes recorded an impressive 12-under-par 272 round three, securing a second place overall finish at a 24-under-par 828. They nearly caught SMU, who won the tournament at a 25-under-par 827.
Ibit and Gilkison both finished within the top 10 of the individual standings.
Shooting five birdies to just one bogey, Ibit recorded a four-under-par 67 round three to conclude the tournament tied for third place at a nine-under-par 204 overall.
After his performance in Alabama, Ibit was awarded with the Mid-American Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week award. This is his second such honor in his freshman season.
Gilkison tied for sixth place at an eight-under-par 205 overall. After a slow start on the front nine, he hit four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine to record another two-under-par 69 in the final round.
Freshman Nolan Haynes also had a successful round three. With six birdies, he finished the round at a four-under-par 67, and moved up 22 spots from the day prior to conclude the tournament tied for 24th at a two-under-par 211.
“They all played well, and they all contributed to put us in a winning position,” Mills said.
Even though the Flashes fell one stroke short of the win, Mills said the back nine performances in round three were a great way to close out the tournament.
“We were getting passed by teams early in round three, and then we just started making birdies,” Mills said. “While everyone else was making pars on the tough holes, we started to make the birdies. We had a few on the 17th hole and another on the last hole. So it was just this big stretch that put us back in a good spot.”
Looking ahead
The next tournament of the Flashes’ spring season will pick up in Myrtle Beach, S.C. March 16 at the General Hackler Championship.
Mills wants to take the success in the tournament and build on it ahead of their next competition.
“We’re going to go back and reassess this week and improve,” Mills said. “We’ll take a look at the positives and see where we could be even better, and continue to work at it and push hard for next time.”
Kailyn Tibolla is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].