Men’s golf places first in Loyola Invitational with lowest score in program history

The University of Richmond men’s golf team placed first out of 19 teams at the Loyola Invitational, winning by 10 shots Feb. 16-18 in Goodyear, Ariz.

The Spiders finished the 54 hole tournament at 29 under par, a score that set a program record, besting the previous mark by five strokes.

“It feels unreal. Everyone played so steadily all week, and there was never a moment where I thought we were giving away the lead,” senior Cole Ekert said. “To also get the program record is such a cool bonus, and all the guys deserve it so much.”

The victory marks back-to-back top-two finishes for the Spiders, who placed second in a tiebreaker at the A-10 Match Play in Dade City, Fla.

Richmond held the top spot throughout the tournament, starting with an 11 under par score on day one.

“It was a great week for the guys,” Head Coach Adam Decker said. “I didn’t really think about the score until after it was all over. The guys did such a great job playing with the lead, making good decisions, and staying present.”

Ekert led the Spiders with a 12 under 204, earning individual runner-up honors for the second consecutive week. Ekert ranked in the top five for par 4s, par 5s, and birdies.

Sophomore Quin Polin, who finished 8-under, and first-year Carson Baez, who finished 5-under, also placed in the top 20. Polin shot 4-under in round one, followed by 1-under and 3-under. Baez struggled on day one, posting four bogeys, but bounced back with back-to-back three under par rounds.

“This was a total team effort,” Decker said. “Everyone played a part in this win, which is encouraging as we progress through the spring.”

The Spiders have three tournaments remaining before the A-10 Championship, set for April 22-24.

“We’ve put in some really good, intentional, and focused practice back home, even despite some iffy weather, and it’s clearly paying off with our first two events,” Ekert said. “I think we’ll all enjoy a few low-key weeks to keep doing some good practicing before our next event.”

The next tournament for Richmond is the Sea Palms Invitational from March 13-15 in St. Simons Island, Ga.

Contact sports editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu