The Kent State men’s golf team had its second top-three finish of the spring season at the Robert Kepler Invitational in Columbus, Saturday, where it placed third out of 13 teams.
The Flashes shot 35-over-par. Tournament host, Ohio State, won the event at 24-over-par.
This was the Flashes’ final meet ahead of the Mid-American Conference Championship.
Coach Jon Mills said the conditions were rough but it provided good practice ahead of the MAC Championship.
“It was an interesting week,” Mills said. “We played a very tough golf course, and we have played it many times before, but the conditions on the 36-hole day were just tough. Still, we had some good takeaways going into next week.”
Day one
Rounds one and two of the tournament were held back-to-back on Friday.
Senior Jordan Gilkison led the Flashes, sitting tied for ninth at four-over-par at the end of the first day.
Gilkison opened the day with an even par (71) before a four-over-par (75) round two.
Freshman Isaiah Ibit followed, recording a first round score of two-over-par (73) and a second round score of five-over-par (76). At the end of the day, he was tied for 17th place at seven-over-par.
Seniors Edvin Backstrom and Bryce Reed rounded out the foursome of Flashes in the top 20, both sitting in 20th place at eight-over-par.
Backstrom shot six-over-par (77) in round one and two-over-par (73) in round two, KSU’s best second round score.
Reed finished his first round at three-over-par (74) and his second round at five-over-par (77).
After 36 holes of golf, Kent State finished the day 27-over-par to sit tied for fifth place.
“We got off to a really good start,” Mills said. “We had around an eight-shot lead, but the back nine was tough, and we just didn’t manage ourselves around the back very well. Overall, as a team, I think we made a few sloppy mistakes and some other things that you can’t do if you’re going to win.”
Day two
The final round of the tournament was held on Saturday.
Gilkison posted another solid round on day two, tying for fifth individually at four-over-par after an even-par (71) in the final round.
Ibit also recorded an even-par (71) on day two, improving his overall score to seven-over-par and a tied 10th place finish.
Freshman Nolan Haynes, who competed in the tournament as an individual, had a great comeback round on Saturday. With three birdies, he shot one-over-par (72), moving up from 30th place to tie for 17th place at 10-over-par.
“[Gilkison], who won last week, played solid again and it’s good to see him play well,” Mills said. “[Haynes] bounced back too and even [Ibit] played solid. It’s good to see them playing with confidence; it should bode well for us next week.”
Reed maintained his position, wrapping up the tournament with a four-over-par (75) in the final round to tie for 20th at 12-over-par.
Backstrom wasn’t far behind, tying for 26th place at 13-over-par after a five-over-par (76) round three.
“Everyone did well at some points, but I think the biggest thing is managing the conditions and the tough golf course,” Mills said. “If you put yourself in a bad spot, it’s important that you take your medicine and get back into play instead of trying to be super aggressive. For a lot of our guys, this tournament was a good learning opportunity for them to understand that.”
Overall, the Flashes secured a third-place finish at 35-over-par.
Looking ahead
The Flashes will return to Columbus, Sunday, to compete in the MAC Championship at Pinnacle Golf Club, marking their final tournament of the spring season. The tournament will run until Tuesday.
Last season, the team tied for third at one-under-par, and Reed had an impressive second place finish at eight-under-par.
Mills hopes to see the success continue.
“They know what they’re coming into,” Mills said. “We also have a pretty in-depth mapping and description of every hole, so it’s just about practicing what we think we’re going to experience, tapping into the right mindset and going from there.”
Kailyn Tibolla is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].