Just two events into the 2020-21 men's golf season, and Hillsdale College is already showing signs that it could be ready for a special campaign.
While their play hasn't gotten them to the top of the leaderboard quite yet, the Chargers have shown they can consistently perform at a level that's close to the best rounds the team has had since the Hillsdale golf program restarted in the 2014-15 school year.
That form was on display again at the Kyle Ryman Memorial Invitational on Monday and Tuesday, hosted by Tiffin University at Mohawk Golf Club.
The Chargers shot rounds of 289, 290 and 296 to finish with a 54-hole total of 875, tying the mark they set at the Doc Spragg Memorial Invite two weeks ago for the third-best 54-hole team score since the program returned to Hillsdale College. The Chargers' consistent performances in all three rounds helped them take third overall as a team behind Findlay and Indianapolis, edging out G-MAC rival Tiffin by four strokes to secure a spot in the top three.
Senior George Roberts continued a strong start to the 2020 season with a 4-under 68-72-72-212 to tie for second as an individual, his best-ever finish as a Charger and his second top-five finish in as many events this season.
Roberts, who had sole possession of the lead after the first round of the event, started the final round 3-over through 10 holes and looked in danger of falling out of the top 10, but rallied with three straight birdies on the 17th, 18th and 1st holes to get back to par and secure a runner-up finish.
The senior from Hampshire, England is playing the best golf of his career at Hillsdale so far, having shot a combined six-under in six rounds this season, with four of his six rounds coming in at even-par or better.
Two other experienced golfers teamed with Roberts to help Hillsdale to a strong finish. Fellow senior Ryan Zetwick rebounded from a tough first round with back-to-back even-par rounds to finish tied for 14th with a four-over 76-72-72-220, while junior Logan Anuszkiewicz also shot a four-over 72-72-76-220 to finish tied for 14th as well.
Sophomore Josh Davenport provided a critical fourth score for the Chargers, shooting 73-74-77-224 to finish tied for 22nd as well. Freshman Darragh Monaghan rounded out Hillsdale's lineup with an 83-75-76-234 to finish tied for 59th.
As impressive as Hillsdale's top team was at the Ryman Memorial, Hillsdale's second team also put together an encouraging performance that showcased the depth of the Charger lineup. Hillsdale's second squad shot a three-round total of 899, finishing in fifth place overall and beating out six of the top teams sent by the Chargers' G-MAC rivals.
Freshman Gerry Jones Jr. led the Charger B squad with a 76-74-74-224, tying for 22nd place overall, and fellow freshmen Carson Stohler (T25th, 77-74-74-225) and Drew Gandy (30th, 77-75-75-227) finished close behind.
Junior Luke Girodat shot a 79-74-76 229 to finish tied for 37th place and help the Chargers' second squad hold off strong challenges from Walsh and Malone in the final round and hold on to the fifth spot in the standings.
Freshman Drew Smith shot a 75-73-86 to finish tied for 59th as well for Hillsdale.
Back-to-back strong performances mean the Chargers are bringing a lot of momentum into one of the biggest and most important invitationals on their fall calendar, the Midwest Regional at Fox Run Golf Club in St. Louis, Missouri.
The three-day event, starting on Sunday, Oct. 11, is an early-season barometer for which teams in the Midwest will battle for a spot at the NCAA Division II Championships in May. Hillsdale's best-ever finish in the event came in the fall of 2017, when the Chargers placed fifth overall in the 22-team field.
PHOTO: Hillsdale's Logan Anuszkiewicz tees off during the Kyle Ryman Memorial Invite on Monday at Mohawk Golf Club. Photo by Josh Burkholder/Tiffin University