The Ave Maria University men's golf team made a legitimate case to be considered a top-40 team in the nation this week, placing third of six teams at the Nancy Nichols Fall Invitational, hosted by Webber International University at the Sun 'N Lake Golf Club in Sebring. The Gyrenes finished ahead of (RV) St. Thomas in Sebring, and finished just nine strokes behind No. 4 Southeastern in the runner-up position.
Ave Maria posted scores of 304 in each of the first two rounds, with different golfers leading the way in Monday's rounds. In the opening round, Gabriel DeCasas continued his run of solid play, shooting a one-over 73. Ty Kaufman and AJ Cherubini were not far behind, posting scores of 75 and 76, respectively. DeCasas shot another 73 in the second round, but Kaufman led the way by going under par with a 71.
The Gyrenes needed some clutch play down the stretch on Tuesday, and got several huge birdies to finish third. Cherubini made back-to-back birdies to finish his round even par, while Kaufman made three birdies in his final nine holes to finish with a 73 in the final round. Kaufman's final birdie came on the 11th hole, his last hole of day, and his birdie putt ensured the Gyrenes would finish ahead of the nationally recognized Bobcats.
Kaufman was Ave Maria's top finisher for the week, shooting a three-over 219 to place fifth, just two shots back of the leaders. DeCasas also placed in the top ten with a 225, while Cherubini tied for eleventh at 229. Sam Hyman finished fourth among Gyrenes by shooting a 241, which included a 76 in the final round. Eric Cherubini rounded out Ave Maria's efforts as a team with a 242, including countable scores in the first two rounds. Additionally, Derek Callahan competed as an individual, carding an overall score of 249.
Three golfers went into a playoff for medalist honors, and Webber International's Clay Jacobs emerged victorious on the third playoff hole. His Webber teammate Vedant Sirohi and Southeastern's Matthew Soucinek were the other two golfers in the playoff. Led by two of the three finalists, Webber earned the team title at Sun 'N Lake, finishing 18 shots ahead of No. 4 Southeastern.
The end of the 2022 fall season comes next week, when the Gyrenes tee off at the Southeastern University Fall Invitational. The last of AMU's three fall tournaments will take place at the Grasslands Golf & Country Club in Lakeland, and will again feature several nationally ranked opponents. The teams will tee off on Monday, with the tournament scheduled to conclude the following day.
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