Men's Golf Continues Spring Season at the Colleton River Collegiate

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Men's Golf Continues Spring Season at the Colleton River Collegiate - Rutgers University Athletics

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Scarlet Knights men's golf team heads to Bluffton, South Carolina to compete in the Colleton River Collegiate tournament this week.

scarletknights.com

 

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SCOREBOARD

The home of college golf

scoreboard.clippd.com

 

[knightfan7]

Last year Rutgers, led by Weston Jones' 6 Under 66 along with 3 since departed starters shooting under Par resulting in a team 16 Under. The team score allowed them to leapfrog 7 teams in the final round, climbing from 10th to 3rd. Their 16 under tied Ga Southern for the best team round of the tourney.

There is only 1 Top 50 team, #41 Wake Forest entered. On the other hand there are 12 teams ranked in the top 1/3 of D1 starting with #56 (Cincinnati) and ending with (#101 East Tennessee). So while not top heavy, there are a number of squads who can walk away with the trophy. Rutgers comes in the 15th ranked team in field (134th), only ahead of #146 Penn State

The tourney is B1G heavy with Rutgers, Ohio St, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan St, Iowa, and Penn St all entered. Along with Cincy, Kansas State, Missouri,and Iowa State will be representing the B12.So while not top heavy, there are a large number of squads who can take the trophy. Ga Southern returns to defend their title.


Rutgers has yet to post a lineup. I wouldn't be shocked to see at least 1 change alomg with seeing who they bring to play as an individual.

 

[knightfan7]

Can't handle anyone else posting, even someone who has been doing so for years with a lot more detaied info.

You're a Child.

 

[knightfan7]

I'm a tiny bit surprised Rutgers 5 player lineup will be the same that played last time out. At #293 RU team Capt Weston Jones (MASS) is Rutgers highest ranked player. He has moved up 111 spots mostly based on his 4th Place finish in Puerto Rico, a tourney hed led with 6 or 7 holes to play, 3 weeks ago. As I mentioned, he played very well at Colleton last year but that was entirely played on the Nicklaus Course. He will be joined by......

#413 - Grad Noah Kumar (Fla)
#844 - Frosh Argyle Downes (WV)
#1128 - Frosh Bennett Espenshade (MD)
#1536 Soph Derek Gutierrez (NJ)

The Top 3 ranked golfers competing are

#17 Ashton McCullough (MSU)
#34 Nick Mason (K State)
#61 Ryan Ford (Cincy)

Golf nerds may remember Iowa Frosh, #45 Noah Kent, lost in the final match, finishing 2nd, at last year's US Am. Well, he has transferred mid season to the Florida Gators, leaving a huge hole in the Hawkeye's roster.

The Colleton River Pete Dye Course, where this tourney is being held this time around, was the setting for the Matt Damon/Will Smith movie "The Legend of Bagger Vance"

This event is a bit different in that those entered as Individuals will play their first round at the Nicklaus Course. Rutgers Frosh Max Jackson (RI) is entered as an individual, playing in his 2nd college event.

 

[knightfan7]

#17 Ashton McCullough is not in MSU's lineup. I went back and checked to find he didn't play in their previous match. He's on the roster, just not playing. As with Iowa, this leaves MSU without one of the best players in college golf.

 

[knightfan7]

In Round 1, Frosh Argyle Downes and Grad Noah Kumar, both shot 1 over 73's on the 7400+ yard Dye Course, They are currently tied for 13th in the 80 player field. The team shot a 301 (+13). finding itself in 9th Place after a 301 (+13). They are 3 strokes behind #41 Wake Forest in 8th and 1 ahead of OSU and Memphis, tied in 10th. Frosh Bennett Espenshade shot 76, Sr Weston Jones 79, and So Derek Gutierrez 83. You need more than 2 playing well which has been a problem for most of the season.

In a tale of 3 holes, the team shot -4 on the 548yd Par 5 2nd hole, then shot +3 on the 208yd Par 3 3rd, and +7 on the 473yd 4th. The 4th also happens to be the #1 handicap hole and played that way with a field average of 4.71. The 3rd was 2nd toughest with the 2nd the easiest so it all makes some sense.

Top 5 Teams

1, #101 East Tennessee......--.....E
2. #82 Michigan St...................+1
3. #64 Indiana.............................+5
T4. #70 Iowa.................................+7
T4. #90 Tenn-Chatt

It doesn't seem like Iowa losing and MSU being without their top players hurt a lot.

The 2nd Round is under way.

I haven't found anything on the Individual Tourney so far.

 

[knightfan7]

In the 2nd Round Rutgers improved the team score by 3 strokes with a +10 and +23 for 2 rounds. Unfortunately 9 teams shot better dropping the Kights 1 spot to 10th. The 2nd Round had an average score of of 74.83, an improvement over Round 1's 76.09.

Rutgers was led by another Freshman, Bennett Espenshade, with a 1 Over 73. He currently stands T23rd (+5) overall. He was followed by Noah Kumar with a +2 74 and T15th (+3). Derek Gutierrez improved by 8 strokes, shooting a 75. At +14 he is T72. Argyle Downes (+5) shot 76 and is T23. Weston Jones also shot 76 and is T62 for the event. Itr would help if the team could figure ouy the Par 3 3rd. As a 5 man team they're +7 on the hole after a 2nd Round that included a Birdie, Par, Bogey, and 2 Doubles. I saw a pic, it's a bear but not quite as tough as the 232yd Par 3 17th,

Indiana's Cole Starnes leads by 3 strokes after shooting 69-68. There is a 3 way tie for second between #81 Kristan Bressum (ETU), Scotty Kennon (Wake), and Lorenzo Pinili (MSU).

Top 5 Teams

1. #82 Michigan St................-2
2. #60 Kansas St.................+1
3. #90 Tenn- Chatt.............+9
4. #41 Wake Forest.............+11
5. #101 East Tenn St...........+12

Tee times are not available at this time. I'm guessing Rutgers will be paired with Memphis, OSU, and Iowa St.

 

[knightfan7]

It was another Final Round fade for the Knights, dropping to 13th after their tournament worst 15 Over Par. I guess they can take solice in finishing ahead of PSU, Minnesota, and '24 Colleton champ, Ga Southern. Along with being over par on every Par 5, the 481yd Par 4 9th was a killer as the 5 players combind to shoot +7. Also, you're not going to have a strong fihish when you have more Doubles than Birdies.

Frosh Bennett Espenshade once again led RU, shooting a 2 Over 74 for a 3 Round total of +7, good for T26th in the 80 player field. Noah Kumar shot 76, tying his teammate for 26th. Argyle Downes shot 76, finishing T35. Weston Jones shot 77, finishing 60th and Derek Gutierrez an 85, finishing 79th.

A Positive if you're looking for one is a Freshman led the team or tied for the team lead every round. Downes tied Kumar in Round 1 while Espenshade led the team in Rounds 2 and 3.

Despite their Top 20 ranked team member not participating, Michigan State cruised to an 11 stroke win. They were the only team who finished under par at their home away from home.

Top 5 Teams

1, #82 Michigan State......................-1
2, #60 Kansas State....................+10
T3, #90Tenn Chattanooga.........+13
T3, #41 Wake Forest
5. #93 Memphis..............................+25

Top 3 Individual

1, Lorenzo Pinili (Michigan St..........-5
2. Kristian Bressum (ETU)...............-3
T3. Cole Starnes (Indiana)...............-2
T3. Scotty Kennon (Wake Forest)
T3. Drew Miller (Michigan St)

Rutgers next hits the links the 17-18 when they are the host school for the Johnnie-O at Sea Island Resort on St Simon's Island, Ga. Among the 13 teams scheduled to compete are the B1G's Mich St, Nebraska, and Penn St. Other teams include Princeton, WVU, Kansas, and Memphis.

 

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Men's Golf's Freshmen Shine at Colleton River Collegiate​

Men's Golf's Freshmen Shine at Colleton River Collegiate - Rutgers University Athletics

BLUFFTON, South Carolina- The Rutgers men's golf team completed the Colleton River Invitational tournament on Monday and were fueled by impressive performances from

scarletknights.com

 

[knightfan7]

"while Weston Jones and Derek Gutierrez also finished on the leaderboard." lol

Ummmm, everyone entered finished somewhere on the leaderboard, be it 1st, 40th, or 80th.

Freshmen Downes and Espenshade have shown flashes that gives hope moving into '25-'26. Like the rest of the team you'd like to see much more consistency which may come with experience. Golfers at this level usually have been competing at a high level since Middle School but doubt they had to compete college work along with all the practice and travel required in high level college golf.