Last December, the Kent State men’s golf team was given the chance to participate in the Pan Pacific Golf Super League in Mishima, Japan, and Coach Jon Mills jumped at the opportunity.

“I thought that would be a great experience for the players,” Mills said. “They loved it. It was a fun experience, and we were very glad that we were able to go”

The team was able to spend a day in Tokyo and experience the city before heading north to Mishima for the tournament. 

“It was fun going downtown and doing some shopping and seeing some temples,” Mills said. “We also got to spend some time around Mishima and see some things.”

Mills didn’t think any part of the trip stood out to him, but he appreciated the opportunity and loved the experience. 

“The people were very nice and took care of all the visiting teams,” Mills said. “I think the whole experience was so unique.”

On the course, the Flashes finished fifth out of 12 teams with a score of 15-over-par (583), which was second amongst the three teams from the United States. Long Island University recorded a fourth place with a score of 14-over par (582), and George Washington University finished in seventh place, shooting 22-over-par (590).

Only two rounds were played for the tournament, as the third round was cancelled due to inclement weather. 

“It was kind of a neat thing because there were only three U.S. teams, and you want to go there and win, but when it comes to rankings, it only matters with those three teams,” Mills said. “Playing in an event like that is a good kick-starter to the rest of the season. It gives some of the young guys an experience of a tournament, and one that doesn’t have massive effects on the rankings.” 

Sophomore Isaiah Ibit led the way for the Flashes, shooting one-under-par (141) in the tournament. He was the only Flash to finish in the top-10 individual leaderboard, sneaking in at ninth place. 

“Isaiah came in and played pretty well in the spring and over the summer,” Mills said. “It was good to see him play solid.” 

Freshman Christoffer Leuenhagen recorded a 15th-place tie in his first-ever collegiate tournament. He shot three-over-par (145) overall. 

Freshman Liam Curtis and sophomore Ramiro Acevedo rounded out the notable performances after recording a 21st-place tie and 27th-place tie, respectively. Curtis scored six-over-par (148), and Acevedo shot seven-over-par (149).

Round one

Ibit started off hot for the Flashes with an opening round score of three-under-par (68).

Leuenhagen had the second-best performance in the first round, as he shot one-under-par (70). 

“For his first collegiate event and his first collegiate round, he played pretty solid that first round,” Mills said. “So there’s some good things there.” 

Acevedo shot two-over-par (73) in the first round to open his sophomore season. 

Following the first round, the Flashes sat in third place with a score of three-over-par (287). The team was two strokes ahead of Long Island and 12 strokes behind Nihon University. 

Round two

 Curtis was on top of the Flashes’ scorecard in the second round, shooting one-over-par (72). 

Ibit followed up Curtis with a score of two-over-par (73).

Leuenhagen rounded out KSU’s top three scorers in the second round after shooting four-over-par (75). 

The Flashes finished the second round with a score of 12-over-par (296), which caused the team to stumble into fifth place. Nihon University won the tournament with a score of 15-under-par (553). 

Mills said his team has youth and inexperience, acknowledging that there will be some growing pains this season that the team will have to work through.

“With such a young team of sophomores and freshmen, there’s going to be some ups and downs throughout the season,” he said. “We’re going to work hard and hopefully not have those issues.”

Looking ahead

The Flashes will be back in action in MacTier, Ontario, for the Canadian Collegiate Invitational. The tournament will run from Sept. 14-16.

Mills hopes to build on the unique experience and challenges the team faced in Japan as they prepare to play in another international tournament.

“It was good for them to play that, and I think it was a bit of an eye opener for some guys that need to play a little better,” he said. “Being in another country and dealing with different grasses and different greens was an extra little challenge that will give them some good experience.” 

Demetri Manousos is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].