DU golf finishes 17th at Kilmarlic | The Triangle

DU golf finishes 17th at Kilmarlic

Behind the strong play of sophomore Christopher Crawford, the Drexel golf team placed 17th out of 18 teams in the Outer Banks Invitational hosted by Old Dominion University at Kilmarlic Golf Club in Powells Point, N.C. Crawford led the way with a 4-over-par score of 217 as the Dragons competed in the 54-hole tournament.

Crawford’s highlight of the tournament was a 4-under-par 67 in the second round to go along with a 79 in the first round and a 71 in the third round. The entire team seemed to be hitting on all cylinders during the second round.

“The major improvement in our second round was nice to see,” head coach Mike Dynda said.

The Dragons improved upon their first round by an astonishing 21 strokes. They shot a 316 in the first round and then pulled together to bounce back and shoot a 295 in the second round. Four out of the five Dragons improved upon their first-round play.

Not far behind Crawford was freshman Yoseph Dance, who finished tied for 77th place overall with rounds of 79, 71 and 80. The 230 he carded for the tournament was his lowest score so far as a Dragon. Another notable golfer who played very well at the invitational was senior Vincent Anagnos, who carded a 73-77-77 for a final score of 227.

Virginia Commonwealth University won the overall team title with a score of 843, 76 shots ahead of Drexel’s total of 919. The tournament’s individual title had to be decided in a breathtaking sudden-death playoff consisting of three different players. Marshall University’s Logan Lagodich ultimately claimed the title after defeating VCU’s Rocky Khara and ODU’s Jamison Randall in a stunning victory on the first playoff hole.

The Dragons’ young lineup had some ups and downs this fall, but when they played together, they were tough to stop.

“The team’s performance this fall was streaky, as is expected with a very young team,” Dynda said. “If we get a little more consistent at the end of the lineup, we will be fine moving forward.”

Time and time again, Dance especially was able to carry much of the team’s weight on his shoulders, and the pressure was seemingly not a factor. When asked about the freshman’s performance this fall, Dynda had nothing but great things to say.

“[He] was certainly a bright spot on the roster,” he said. “As a freshman from another continent and playing the way he did while getting used to all the changes, I was beyond impressed.”

The team had its best outing of the season Sept. 21-22 at the Cornell Invitational, with Crawford winning the individual title and the team placing second overall. If there were a team MVP throughout the fall season, it was Crawford. It didn’t matter where the Dragons were playing during a given week; Crawford was going to card the lowest score for the team.

The golfers who continually recorded the best scores for Drexel were its underclassmen. It will be fun to see this team compete throughout the years as they grow together. There’s something to be said about this young up-and-coming team: it’s dangerous.