Men's Golf Shatters Records on Day 1 in West Virginia
Wheeling, WV - The University of Findlay men's golf team put together its' best day in program history on Monday, April 4 at the West Liberty Invitational in Wheeling, WV. The Oilers, ranked 36th in the country by GolfStat.com, fired a first-round score of 276 (-8), which at the time was tied for the second-best 18-hole score in program history. Already red hot, Findlay then went even lower, posting a score of 269 (-15) in the second round, giving the team a 36-hole score of 545 (-23). That score has the Oilers in first place in the tournament, two shots clear of regional rival Indianapolis who also played well, posting a 547 (-21). Findlay and Indy created separation from the field as the University of Charleston sits in third at 569 (+1), 22 shots behind Indy and 24 behind Findlay.
The Oilers' second-round score of 269 is the lowest 18-hole score in program history by four shots, breaking the previous record of 273 which was set at last season's Kyle Ryman Memorial in Tiffin, Ohio. Combine two of the top three 18-hole marks in program history on the same day and that gives Findlay the 36-hole mark as well. Monday's two-round total was a 545 and that score is nine shots better than the 554 the Oilers posted at the Kyle Ryman.
Leading the way for the Oilers were senior Tanner Grzegorczyk and sophomore Justin Atkinson who both ended the day locked in a five-way tie atop the leaderboard. Both players ended the day with a 135 (-7), establishing a new individual 36-hole record, breaking Grzegorczyk's previous record of 136 from the Kyle Ryman last season.
Grzegorczyk, who was named Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Player of the Week today, and Atkinson both fired rounds of 67 (-4) and 68 (-3) on the day. The 67 is the third-best score in program history and has been achieved 14 times prior to Monday's first round. The 68 is fourth all-time at Findlay and had been done 13 times.
Atkinson, who is tied for the tournament lead with 12 birdies, had his best nine-hole stretch of the day came out of the gate as he birdied four of his first seven holes en route to a front-nine 33. Grzegorczyk, on the other hand, saved his best for last, making birdie on four of his final nine holes for a 33 on the back nine of his second round.
As well as those two played, sophomore Donnie Professori, who is currently tied for eighth, was the player who turned in the round of the day for Findlay. After a first round in which he battled to an even-par 71, the Wexford, Pennsylvania native ended his day with a 66 (-5), the second-best 18-hole score in school history and the lowest of his young career. Through nine holes of his second round, Professori was still at even par for the event. He then made birdie on five of his final nine holes, flying up the leaderboard to end the day with a 137 (-5), tied for the now third-lowest 36-hole score in program history.
In a tie for 12th is senior Brock Kehres who fired an even-par 71 to start the day and followed that with a 70 (-1). His day started with a bogey on his first hole and a double-bogey on his second, but birdies on the 8th, 12th, and 17th holes pulled him back to level par. Three more birdies in his second round gave him a 70 as he posted a two-round total of 141, the eighth-best two-round score in program history.
Rounding out Findlay's top five was senior Parker Haynes who sits in a tie for 17th on the leaderboard. Haynes started the day with a 75 (+4) as a pair of double-bogeys haunted his round. He did not let that impact the rest of his day as the second round began with back-to-back birdies. Haynes ended that round with six birdies and a score of 67 (-4), tied for the third-lowest 18-hole score in program history.
Senior Hunter Foltz and junior Nathan Osborn are competing in the tournament as individuals and are both tied for 35th after they each posted a 73 and a 75 on the day. Foltz started his day with a 73 while Osborn posted his 73 in his second round.
The Oilers will wrap up play tomorrow and are hoping to pick up their first tournament title of the spring.