WKU’s men’s golf program placed 11th in a field of 17 teams in the JT Poston Invitational hosted by Western Carolina University.

The team traveled to North Carolina for their second tournament of the year, playing three rounds at the Country Club of Sapphire Valley

The first 18 holes of the tournament proved challenging for the team as it carded an 18-over par 302. Senior Luke Fuller had the lowest score on the team in the first round with a 72.

The Hilltoppers built momentum in the second round of the first day with several low scores. The team improved as a whole by 16 shots to finish with a 286 to position themselves in 10th place on the leaderboard.

Sophomore Riley Grindstaff had a low round of 68 which was a nine-stroke improvement from his first round of the day. Fuller stayed consistent in his play, shooting a 72 in the second round. Sophomore Will Stewart had a solid round, also carding a 72.

Redshirt sophomore Nic Hofman improved his score by two strokes in the second round to shoot a 75. Fifth-year senior Landon Carner also lowered his score on the second 18 holes by two strokes, shooting 74. 

WKU finished the 54-hole tournament in 11th place, shooting a 292 in the final round. The team finished 28-over par, 880 for all three rounds.

Grindstaff continued his strong play by shooting under par again on day three with a score of 70. He finished 14th overall, just one stroke back from the top ten. 

Hofman also finished the tournament with a score of 70 in the final round, dropping five strokes from his previous round. Junior Aaron Pha improved his score by one shot in the third round to shoot a 77 from his previous 78.

The Hilltoppers will continue their season in the Xavier Invitational from Oct. 10-11 in Maineville, Ohio. Full results can be found below:

T14 Riley Grindstaff – 77, 68, 70 (215)

T35 Luke Fuller – 72, 72, 76 (220)

T45 Nic Hofman – 77, 75, 70 (222)

T66 Landon Carner – 76, 74, 76 (226)

T68 Will Stewart – 78, 72, 77 (227)

T85 Aaron Pha – 77, 78, 77 (232)

Sports reporter Molly St. Clair can be reached at [email protected].