Jones Wins Individual Title, as Bearcats Top Team Standings at George Fox Invite
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
GEARHART, Ore. -- Trent Jones (Sr., Kenmore, WA/Shorecrest HS) of Willamette University shot a 71 for the second day in a row to win the individual championship with an overall score of 2-under-par 142 as the George Fox Invitational concluded on Sunday, Oct. 7 at Gearhart Golf Club. Willamette also shot identical team scores in each round, earning a 293 each day to claim the team championship with a score of 586. All five of Willamettes indivdiual golfers in the tournament placed in the top nine.
Jones won the tournament by four strokes. He was the only player to break par in both rounds. Jones began Sunday in second place, one stroke behind first round leader Isaac Grebisz from Linfield College. Grebisz shot a 2-under 70 in the first round, but carded a 76 in the second round and slipped into second place at 146. Mason Koch of George Fox University, who was tied with Jones for second after 18 holes, shot 71-76 and placed third at 147.
Willamette golfers Sam Hinton (Sr., Seaside, OR/Seaside HS) and Kenneth Sheldon (Sr., Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) tied each other for fourth place at 148. Hinton shot 75-73, while Sheldon carded 76-72. The 1-under by Jones and the even-part by Sheldon were the only rounds at or below par on Sunday.
Walter Sherry of Linfield took sixth at 149 (75-74), and teammate Matt McClure placed seventh for the Wildcats at 150 (77-73). Andrew Kibbee (Fr., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS) of Willamette was eighth with a score of 151 (74-77). Austin Davis (Fr., Culver City, CA/Culver City HS) placed ninth for the Bearcats by shooting 152 (73-79).
The Bearcats topped the team standings by nine strokes. Linfield finished second at 595 after shooting 297 and 298. George Fox placed third at 610 (301-309). Pacific University was fourth at 650 (316-334), while Lewis & Clark College was fifth at 655 (324-331) and Whitman College was sixth at 685 (346-339).
Willamette will compete at the NWC Fall Classic on Saturday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 14 at Michelbook Country Club in McMinnville, Oregon.
Big Moment of the Tournament for Willamette
After shooting seven pars and just two bogies on the front
nine during Sunday's second round of action, Trent Jones of
Willamette shot 2-under on the back nine, with three birdies
and six pars. He carded his birdies on the 14th (par 4), 15th
(par 3) and 17th (par 4). Jones shot a 71 in both rounds to
win the tournament by four strokes at 2-under par 142.