All Five Goucher Men's Golfers Finish In Top-8 To Help Gophers To Landmark Conference Fall Preview Title
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. – Julian Gonzalez (Heredia, Costa Rica/Berkeley Academy) finished tied for second and Goucher College won the Landmark Conference Men's Golf Fall Preview by one stroke on Saturday.
The two-time defending Landmark Conference champions won the fall preview for the second-straight year, but this time it was by just one stroke over Scranton. Goucher's Top-4 scores were 76,77,78,78 while the Royals Top-4 scores were 71,77,78,84 to give the Gophers the title by the score of 309 to 310.
It is the team's first team title of the season and fifth in the three-year history of the program.
Gonzalez shot a 76 on Saturday to finish second, five strokes behind the medalist. The sophomore had a one-over par 38 on the first nine holes after bogeys on No. 1 and 3 and a birdie on No. 9. He then posted a three-over 38 on the final nine holes thanks to a bogey on No. 12 and a double bogey on No. 16.
Last year, Gonzalez won the fall preview after shooting a 72 and 70 for a two-round score of 142. The sophomore then finished tied for the low score at the Landmark Conference Men's Golf Championship in the spring before losing in a playoff with a two-round score of 145.
The other four Gophers on the team also shot in the 70s and finished in the Top-8.
Evan Yue (Beijing, China/IMG Academy) finished fourth with a score of 77 while Nick Fisher (Fishers, Ind./Fishers), Steph Lee (Manalapan, N.J./St. John Vianney) and Roberto Mikse (Fort Worth, Texas/Jim McClean Junior Academy) finished tied for eighth with a 78.
Yue shot a two-over 39 in the first nine holes thanks birdies on No. 6 and 9, bogeys on No. 1 and 8 and a double bogey on No. 7. The junior then carded bogeys on No. 12, 13 and 15 to post a three over 38 on the back nine.
Fisher fired a four-over 41 to start his round after birdies on No. 4 and 9, bogeys on No, 3, 6, 7, 8 and a double bogey on No. 5. The sophomore then wrapped up his round with a two-over par on the back nine after birdies on No. 14 and 16 along with bogeys on No. 10, 11, 13 and 18.
Lee fired a four-over 41 on the front nine just like Fisher thanks to bogeys on No. 3, 5, 7 and 8. He then had bogeys on No. 10 and 11 before concluding his round clean the rest of the way for a two-over 37 on the back nine.
Mikse shot a one-over 38 to open his round after a birdie on No. 3 and a bogeys on No. 5 and 7. Mikse then posted a five-over 40 on the final nine holes with a birdie on No. 14, bogeys on No. 11, 12 and 13 and a triple bogey on No. 18.
After Goucher and Scranton in the team standings, Catholic (320), Drew (325), Susquehanna (330), Juniata (349) and Elizabethtown (359) rounded out the seven-team field.
Goucher returns to action on Thursday at the Stevenson Fall Invitational.