After nearly three weeks of layoff, the Hillsdale College men's golf team got back in action this weekend with a solid finish at the Browngolf Intercollegiate in Jackson Springs, North Carolina on Friday and Saturday.
Originally scheduled to be a 54-hole invitational at the Foxfire Resort and Golf Club, inclement weather shortened the event to 36 holes, but the Chargers still performed well under adverse conditions, finishing fifth among teams who completed both rounds in a 20-school field of solid Midwest and Atlantic Region programs.
The Chargers finished 26-over for the two-day tournament, shooting a team score of 602 and a low 18-hole round of 299. Two freshmen led the way for Hillsdale, as Filippo Reale shot a 77-73-150 to finish six-over for Hillsdale and Oscar Darlington carded a 74-76 to finish with the same two day score. Both players tied for 21st overall in the competition.
Senior Drew Gandy was just a stroke behind in a tie for 24th as well for Hillsdale, shooting a 75-76-151, while junior Josh Davenport and senior Gerry Jones Jr. each tied for 38th place to round out Hillsdale's scoring golfers, each shooting a 154 to finish 10-over.
While no one player posted a standout low score for the Chargers in the event, Hillsdale's overall depth and consistency up and down the lineup shone through, allowing the Chargers to finish ahead of the vast majority of the field, including Midwest Regional foe Ferris St.
This weekend's event was a tune-up for the Chargers, who remain in North Carolina and travel to Southern Pines to host their first-ever collegiate invitational. Titled the Bell Collegiate, Hillsdale plays host to 11 other teams in the event that begins on Monday at Mid-Pines Inn and Golf Club. With several conference competitors in the field, the Chargers will be looking to make a statement in their home event and pick up critical regional comparison victories for later in the spring.
Photo Courtesy of Findlay Athletics