Willamette Earns Second Place at Linfield Invitational

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

McMINNVILLE, ORE. -- Willamette University shot a team score of 312 to finish in second place, just three stroke out of the lead, at the Linfield Invitational in men's golf on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at Michelbook Country Club. Junior Ryan Kukula (Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) led the Bearcats by shooting a 74 and taking second place in the individual standings.

The one-day event featured one round of golf for all of the participants. Linfield College won the team title with a score of 309, followed by Willamette's score of 312, with Warner Pacific College in third place at 317. Lewis & Clark College and Linfield's "B" team tied for fourth place at 339, while Willamette's "B" team was one stroke back in sixth place at 340.

Kyle Hargrave won medalist honors for Linfield with an even-par 72. Kukula's 74 earned second place outright, while Taylor Klopp from Linfield was third with a 76. Trevor Foster from Lewis & Clark was fourth with a 76. Peter Mitzel (Fr., Red Bluff, CA/Red Bluff HS) of Willamette tied for fifth with Logan Munson of Linfield at 78.

Kukula, Mitzel and Clark Wilson (Fr., Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) all scored in the 70s for the Bearcats, as Wilson carded a 79 to join a four-way tie for seventh place. Also tied at 79 were Jacob Berg, A.J. Nelson and John-Michael Pilot, all from Warner Pacific.

Royce Rosenthal of Warner Pacific placed 11th with an 80.

Jacob Armelino (Fr., Redding, CA/University Prep) and Chase Lamothe (Fr., Corvallis, OR/Corvallis HS) each shot an 81 to complete Willamette's "A" team. They both tied for 12th place, along with Sam McLain from the Linfield "B" team.

Golfers for the Willamette "B" team were Evan Fleming (So., Park City, UT/Park City HS), Steven Rodriguez (So., Red Bluff, CA/Mercy HS), Stephan Bartz (So., San Francisco, CA/San Francisco University HS), Jonathan Ross (Jr., Tukwila, WA/Foster HS) and Josh Echols (Fr., Olympia, WA/Capital HS).

Fleming carded an 83, Rodriguez shot an 84 and Bartz finished with an 86. Ross shot 87 and Echols shot 92.

A total of 33 athletes participated in the tournament.

Willamette will compete again on Sunday, Oct. 20 and Monday, Oct. 21 at the Culturame Men's Classic, hosted by George Fox University. The tournament will be held at The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Ore.