Host UNCG captures team title in Dorado Beach Collegiate in Puerto Rico; Temple finishes eighth

 

   Temple wrapped up its second tournament of the spring portion of the wraparound 2024-2025 season, finishing in eighth place in the 16-team field in the Dorado Beach Collegiate, which wrapped up Tuesday at TPC Dorado Beach’s Sugarcane Course in Puerto Rico.

   The Owls, playing out of the American Athletic Conference, had opened its spring campaign last week in the Wexford Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, S.C.

   I’ll get around to rounding up how Temple performed in both events, but when it comes to the Dorado Beach Collegiate, let’s give credit where credit is due as host North Carolina Greensboro claimed the team crown with an eight-shot victory over Southern Mississippi.

   It was the third tournament win of the wraparound season for the Spartans as they owned victories in the Bryan National Collegiate in September and in the Elon Invitational in October.

   UNCG, a Southern Conference representative, jumped in front with the low team round of the tournament, a sizzling 15-under-par 273 over the 7,119-yard, par-72 Sugarcane Course layout. The Spartans maintained their lead with a solid 9-under 279 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 5-under 283 for a 29-under 835 total.

   Two UNCG players, Colin Dutton, a senior from Foxfire, N.C., and Jack Marcotte, a graduate student from Apex, N.C., led the way for the Spartans as they were two of the four players tied for fourth place at 8-under 208.

   After opening with a 1-over 73, Dutton posted a 4-under 68 in Monday’s second round before helping UNCG nail down the team crown with a sparkling 5-under 67 in the final round. It was the low round of the final round for the Spartans.

   Marcotte contributed a 4-under 68 to the UNCG’s fast start and had the individual lead after adding a 5-under 67 in Monday’s second round. Marcotte fell back with a 1-over 73 in the final round, but still earned a share of fourth place.

   UNCG, the only team in the field in the top 100 of the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings at No. 99, failed to advance to last spring’s NCAA Championship at the La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. as a seven seed in the Austin Regional.

   Southern Mississippi, a Sun Belt Conference entry, was the UNCG’s closest pursuer as the Golden Eagles finished in second place with a 21-under 843 total. Southern Mississippi opened with a 6-under 282 and added a solid 10-under 278 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 5-under 283.

   The Golden Eagles were led by Ryan Dupuy, a senior from Baton Rouge, La. who finished in a tie for second place in the individual standings with Connecticut’s Alex Heard, a sophomore from Boca Raton, Fla., each landing on 9-under 207.

   Dupuy and Heard finished two shots behind the individual champion, Winthrop’s Jeff Nelson, a senior from Commerce City, Colo. who ended up with an 11-under 205 total for his first victory as an Eagle. Nelson was tied at the top of the leaderboard following an opening round of 7-under 65. He added a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 3-under 69.

   Dupuy was the picture of consistency for Southern Mississippi as he rattled off three straight 3-under 69s to get it to 9-under. UConn’s Heard opened with a solid 5-under 67 and added a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 3-under 69.

   Illinois State, a Missouri Valley Conference representative, finished just a shot behind Southern Mississippi in third place with a 20-under 844 total. The Redbirds only trailed UNCG by four shots going into the final round after they recorded back-to-back 10-under 278s in the first two rounds. They matched par in the final round with a 288.

   Connecticut, a Big East entry, finished six shots behind Illinois State in fourth place with a 14-under 850 total. The Huskies, behind Heard’s tie for second place, opened with a solid 10-under 278 and added a 3-under 285 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 1-under 287.

   Loyola of Maryland, the reigning Patriot League champion, and Wofford, one of UNCG’s SoCon rivals, finished in a tie for fifth place as each landed a shot behind UConn with a 13-under 851 total.

   The Greyhounds opened with a solid 8-under 280 and added a 5-under 283 in Monday’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 288. Loyola of Maryland failed to advance to last spring’s NCAA Championship as a 13 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional, but claiming that Patriot League crown still earned the Greyhounds that regional bid.

   The Terriers matched Loyola of Maryland’s strong opening round of 8-under 280 and matched par in Monday’s second round with a 288 before closing with a 5-under 283.

   Temple got off to a great start as its opening-round of 13-under 275 left the Owls just two shots behind UNCG, the eventual champion. Temple fell back in the final two rounds with a 5-over 293 in Monday’s second round and a 4-over 292 in the final round for a 4-under 860 total.

   Backing up Dutton and Marcotte for UNCG was Kelvin Hernandez, a sophomore who was probably pretty comfortable playing in his native Puerto Rico, as he finished among the group tied for 11^th place with a 6-under 210 total.

   Hernandez fueled UNCG’s fast start with a sizzling 7-under 65 before matching par in Monday’s second round with a 72 and closing with a 1-over 73.

   While the Spartans failed to advance as a team out of the Austin Regional last spring, Hernandez punched his ticket to the NCAA Championship at La Costa by finishing in a tie for third place in the individual chase. Only one player from a non-advancing team makes it to the NCAA Championship out of the regional and Hernandez grabbed that coveted ticket.

   Jake Lewis, a freshman from Cary, N.C., gave UNCG a fourth finisher inside the top 17 as he ended up among the trio tied for 17^th place with a 3-under 213 total. Lewis contributed a 3-under 69 to UNCG’s fast start before matching par in each of the final two rounds with back-to-back 72s.

   Rounding out the UNCG lineup was B.J. Boyce, a senior from Fort Bragg, N.C. who finished among the group tied for 35^th place with an even-par 216 total. Boyce sandwiched a 2-over 74 in Monday’s second round with a pair of 1-under 71s.

   With UNCG hosting, veteran head coach Terrance Stewart brought along three of his young Spartans to compete as individuals at TPC Dorado Beach.

   Liam Percy, a freshman from Raleigh, N.C., finished in the group tied for 54^th place with a 4-over 220 total as he opened with a 1-over 73 and added a 3-over 75 in Monday’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Will Guidry, a freshman from Winterville, N.C., finished among the group tied for 69^th place with a 7-over 223 total as he struggled a little in the opening round with a 78, but bounced back with a 1-over 73 in Monday’s second before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Another Raleigh guy, sophomore Keenan Royalty, finished among the trio tied for 73^rd place with an 8-over 224 total as he added a 1-over 73 in Monday’s second round to his opening-round 74 before closing with a 77.

   Joining UNCG’s Dutton and Marcotte in the foursome tied for fourth place at 8-under were Southern Mississippi’s Matthew Javier, a freshman from Canada, and James Madison’s Vaclav Tichy, a senior from the Czech Republic.

   After opening with a 1-under 71, Javier, backing up his teammate Dupuy, registered a 4-under 68 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 3-under 69.

   Tichy opened with a 3-under 69 and added a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round before signing for a solid 4-under 68 in the final round.

   A couple of Illinois State Redbirds, T.J. Barger, a redshirt junior from Bloomington, Ind., and Will Troy, a graduate student from Naperville, Ill., finished in a tie for eighth place along with Ball State’s Ali Khan, a redshirt senior from Columbus, Ohio as they all landed on 7-under 209.

   After matching par in the opening round with a 72, Barger really got it going in Monday’s second round, carding a sizzling 8-under 64, the low round of the tournament, before closing with a 1-over 73. Troy contributed a 5-under 67 to Illinois State’s fast start. He matched par in Monday’s second round with a 72 before finishing up with a 2-under 70.

   Khan sandwiched a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round with a pair of 3-under 69s.

   Solid showing in the Dorado Beach Collegiate for Loyola of Maryland’s Mike Crowley, a graduate student from Hunt Valley, Md. who claimed the BMW Philadelphia Amateur crown two summers ago at Huntingdon Valley Country Club, as he ended up among the group tied for 28^th place at 1-under 215.

   After opening with a solid 2-under 70, Crowley added a 1-over 73 in Monday’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Leading the way for Temple was Aidan Emmerich, a junior from Swampscott, Mass. who finished in a tie for 15^th place with a 4-under 212 total. Emmerich added a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round to his solid opening round of 3-under 69 before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   It was the continuation of a strong start to the spring for Emmerich as he was the low Owl in the Wexford Intercollegiate the previous week with a 4-over 220 total at the Wexford Golf Club’s Arnold Palmer Signature Course. That left him in a tie for 17^th place.

   Jake Naese, a senior from Bradenton, Fla., backed up Emmerich at TPC Dorado Beach as he finished in the group tied for 35^th place with an even-par 216 total. After opening with a 2-under 70, Naese posted back-to-back 1-over 73s in the final two rounds.

   Senior Joey Morganti, who starred scholastically at St. Joseph’s Prep and is a product of the junior program at Llanerch Country Club, and Ethan Whitney, a senior from Westminster, Mass., both ended up in the group tied for 60^th place at 5-over 221 for the Owls.

   Morganti lit the fuse for Temple’s blazing start as he opened with a 5-under 67, matching his career-best with the Owls. He struggled to a pair of 5-over 77s in the final two rounds.

   After opening with a 5-over 77, Whitney added a 2-over 74 in Monday’s second round before finishing up with a solid 2-under 70.

   Whitney was coming off a top-20 finish in the Wexford Intercollegiate as he ended up in a tie for 20^th place with a 6-over 222 total.

   Rounding out the Temple lineup at TPC Dorado Beach was Michael Walsh, a senior from Shelburne, Vt. who finished in the group tied for 65^th place with a 6-over 222 total. Walsh got off to a great start with a 3-under 69 in the opening round before adding a 3-over 75 in Monday’s second round and closing with a 78.

   Temple head coach Brian Quinn brought along sophomore Matt Vital, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Bethlehem’s Liberty High, to compete as an individual. Vital struggled on the Sugarcane Course, adding a 79 in Monday’s second round to his opening round of 5-over 77 before closing with a 78 as he ended up in 97^th place with a 234 total.

   In the Wexford Intercollegiate at Hilton Head, Temple finished in 11^th place in the 18-team field with a 39-over 903 total.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time is running out to apply for a Diversity Scholarship to play on the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour

 

   In my most recent post, I was able to report that Nick Gross, who starred scholastically at Downingtown West and is a freshman with Southeastern Conference power Alabama, had finished in a tie for sixth place individually, helping the Crimson Tide to a runnerup finish in the Watersound Invitational at the Shark’s Tooth Golf Course in Panama City Beach, Fla.

   I first came across Nick Gross when he was dominating the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour’s coed 12-and-under nine-holers when he was 12. Four years later Gross, a week short of his 16^th birthday, was playing in the U.S. Amateur quarterfinals and was one of most coveted college recruits in the country.

   The Philadelphia Section PGA can’t promise that kind of success to the junior golfers who sign up to play on the Philly Junior Tour (PJT). But, obviously, it has happened.

   More likely, you will just have a lot of fun learning to play a game that you will probably still be playing 50 years from now. You will meet youngsters who just might turn into friends for life. You might improve enough to become a member of your high school golf team. You might even get good enough to play college golf, maybe not at the upper echelons of Division I like Gross, but there’s a lot of smaller colleges out there with golf teams.

   The Philadelphia Section PGA, through its charitable arm, PGA REACH Philadelphia, wants every kid who might be interested in pursuing the game, even if they think playing on the Philly Junior Tour might not be affordable, to get that shot.

   PGA REACH Philadelphia is once again offering Diversity Scholarships with scholarship opportunities for junior golfers ages 18 or younger from diverse backgrounds who have a passion for golf to participate on the Philly Junior Tour.

   Diverse backgrounds can include racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic and academic/professional factors.

   Time is running out, but there is time. The deadline to apply is March 3, next Monday, and you can find the link to the application on the Philadelphia Junior Tour’s website.

   The scholarship includes Philadelphia Junior Tour membership for 2025. The scholarship also pairs recipients with a Philadelphia PGA professional who acts as a mentor for the fledgling junior golfer.

   Scholarship recipients will be eligible to tee it up in at least seven Philly Junior Tour events each year until that boy or girl is older than 18.

   Don’t think you’re any good at golf? That makes you just the person who should be giving the Philly Junior Tour a shot.

   I’ve been reporting Philly Junior Tour results for more than 20 years and I’ve seen boys and girls who couldn’t break 50 for nine holes end up playing in the high school state championship a few years later. It’s really the fun of reporting the results is to see the light bulb go on for some kid and watch him or her suddenly become a pretty good player, sometimes in the space of just one summer.

   With opportunities like the Diversity Scholarship, you don’t have to be a country club kid to take up the game. You just have to want to play.

   It’s the best game, this golf, but, of course, I’m biased. Why not just give it a shot? You’ll find out for yourself.