Owls start season with record-breaking score

LEXINGTON, Ky. And GRANVILLE, Ohio -- The Kenyon College men's golf team split up this weekend to play in two different tournaments. The team's top players wound up finishing third in the Transylvania Fall Invitational, while the reserve squad placed sixth at Denison University's Ted Barclay Invitational.

At the Transylvania Fall Invitational, held at the par-72 University Club of Kentucky, the Owls tallied a team score of 295 in the first round and then a 282 in the second round. The team's final score of 577 was not a team record, in terms of stroke count, but was a team record for a 36-hole tournament score in relation to par (+1).

Sophomore Jaiden Koonar made a major turn-around and led all Kenyon players on the leaderboard. He shot a three-over-par 75 in the first round and stormed back with a five-under-par 67 in the second round. Those final 18 holes consisted of five birdies, an eagle and one bogey. Koonar's final stroke count of 142 left him in a four-way tie for eighth place in the field of 96 golfers.

Kenyon first-year Adrian Jordan was just a couple strokes behind Koonar, posting a pair of even-par 72s. His final count of 144 put him in a four-way tie for 14th place. Junior Will Hulsey was just one shot off that mark, totaling a 145 with rounds of 74 and 71 that put him in a five-way tie for 18th place.

The Owls also received a 147 from sophomore Jonathan Oakes, who tied for 27th place, and a 149 from senior Armand Ouellette, who tied for 38th place.

While Kenyon's top players were at Transylvania, the rest of the team played at Denison University's Ted Barclay Invitational, a two-day event at Denison Golf Club.

Led by sophomore Oliver McGovern, the Owls counted 600 strokes and placed sixth in the field of 11 teams. Kenyon posted a team score of 303 Saturday and followed up with a 297 on Sunday.

McGovern recorded the best round of the tournament, carding a five-under 66 on Sunday. His second-round score consisted of six birdies and one bogey and was 11 strokes better than his Saturday score. Overall, McGovern's final two-day count of 143 was good for an individual tie for fifth place among the 66 competitors.

Rafael Frias IV, another sophomore, turned in the next-best showing for Kenyon. He put up a score of 149 and wound up in a tie for 20th place. Following him, first-year Brooks Cahill-Sanidas shot a 154 and placed 35th, while sophomore Robbie Lifson fired a 157 and claimed a share of 46th place.

The Owls will step away from competition for a while and resume tournament play on September 22, when they start the three-round NCAA Preview, hosted by the University of Rochester.

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Players Mentioned

Brooks Cahill-Sanidas: First-Year

Rafael Frias IV: Sophomore

Will Hulsey: Junior

Adrian Jordan: First-Year

Jaiden Koonar: Sophomore

Robbie Lifson: Sophomore

Oliver McGovern: Sophomore

Jonathan Oakes: Sophomore

Armand Ouellette: Senior

Players Mentioned

Brooks Cahill-Sanidas
: First-Year

Rafael Frias IV
: Sophomore

Will Hulsey
: Junior

Adrian Jordan
: First-Year

Jaiden Koonar
: Sophomore

Robbie Lifson
: Sophomore

Oliver McGovern
: Sophomore

Jonathan Oakes
: Sophomore

Armand Ouellette
: Senior