The Kent State men’s golf team traveled to Columbus over the weekend for the Robert Kepler Invitational hosted by The Ohio State University. The tournament took place on Saturday and Sunday, and KSU posted a strong performance.
The Flashes recorded their first top-10 finish of the spring season, placing in a tie for eighth with Michigan State University and the University of Michigan with a two-under-par (862).
Freshman Christoffer Leuenhagen shot three-under-par (213) and finished in the top 19. He led the team through an especially difficult second round and stabilized the squad.
Sophomore Darcy Hogg also recorded a one-under-par (215) and placed 28th.
Senior James Newton was another major contributor for KSU with his performance. He shot a one-over-par (217) and recorded a 38th-place finish.
Sophomore Isaiah Ibit had another solid outing with a three-over-par (219) and a finish in 53rd.
Freshman Liam Curtis struggled the most for the squad, posting a seven-over-par (223). He finished in 65th place for the team.
Round One
Hogg and Newton got the Flashes off to a hot start as they both shot a two-under-par (70). The team jumped into fourth place thanks to their performances among the team.
KSU’s jump to nearly the top of the rankings proved to be a good sign for the rest of the tournament as they began.
Leuenhagen also had a great first round with a one-under-par (71) score.
Ibit and Curtis rounded out the first round scoring as Ibit shot a two-over-par (74), while Curtis shot a five-over-par (77).
Round Two
Leuenhagen took charge in the second round with an even-par (72) amid struggles across the whole squad. The team ended the round in last place, eight-over-par (296), due to their struggles.
Ibit stayed fairly consistent, shooting one-over-par (73) as he followed Leuenhagen.
Curtis rebounded from his first-round performance as he recorded a three-over-par (75) in the low round for the Flashes.
Hogg and Newton both shot a four-over-par (76), and Newton did not score for the Flashes this round.
Despite the difficult second round, the Flashes still saw some success. Although they finished the round in last; the Flashes were not far behind their competitors.
Round Three
The final round saw a bounce-back effort from the Flashes as they moved up to eighth place and ended with a seven-under-par (281), marking their strongest round of the tournament.
Hogg had his best round of the tournament, finishing three under par (69) and moved up 20 places to 28th.
Meanwhile, Leuenhagen was close behind as he carded a two-under-par (70). His finish ended up in 19th.
Newton and Curtis also had solid rounds, each finishing the event one-under-par (71).
Finally, Ibit had another solid round with an even-par; his score was dropped as it was the lowest of the group.
The Flashes performed well in Columbus at their second-to-last tournament of the year. They are getting hot at the right time to move into the Mid-American Conference tournament.
Up Next
The Kent State men’s golf team will remain in Ohio for the Muirfield Shootout in Dublin, hosted by Miami University. The team will compete on April 20 as they look to keep stacking solid performances.
Luke Nedved is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
