By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Jack McMullin (Jr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) shot a 2-under par 70 to end the day in a tie for second place, and Willamette University concluded the first round tied for the lead, as the Wildcat Invitational got underway on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Michelbook Country Club. McMullin carded three birdies and one bogey, with a 1-under 36 on the front nine and a 1-under 34 on the back nine. As a team Willamette shot a 2-over par 290, which matched the team score for Whitman College at the top of the team leaderboard.
Willamette entered an "A" team and a "B" team in the tournament, giving the Bearcats a total of 10 golfers on the course. McMullin led the "A" team which also included Alex Weirth (Sr., Port Orchard, WA/Crosspoint Academy), Andrew Kibbee (Grad., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS), Paxton Jones (So., Wellington, NZ/Scots College), and Lucas Paul (Fy., Salem, OR/South Salem HS). Weirth was tied for fourth place with a 1-under par 71. Kibbee was involved in a seven-way tie for eighth place at 74. Jones and Paul were part of an eight-way tie for 15th.
Weirth earned eight birdies while finishing at 1-under. McMullin, Kibbee, and Jones each shot three birdies.
Bearcats golfing for the "B" team were Brock Olson (Fy., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS), Oliver Smith (Fy., San Jose, CA/Pioneer HS), Carlos Cortes Dequidt (Sr., San Diego, CA/Torrey Pines HS), Riley Lankford (Grad., Pilot Rock, OR/Pilot Rock HS), and Andrew Cerqui (So., Seattle, WA/Bishop Blanchet HS).
Olson provided a score of 76 for the "B" group, while Smith carded a 78. Cortes Dequidt, and Lankford each shot a 79. Cerqui shot an 83. Olson and Smith both recorded three birdies during the round.
Alexander Knox of Whitman topped the individual standings with a 4-under par 68 and a two-stroke lead. McMullin and Riley Lynch from Linfield University were tied for second at 70. Weirth and Isaac Janzen from Whitworth University shared third place at 71. Matthew Durkin of Whitworth was sixth at even-par 72, and Tom Hoyne of Whitman was seventh at 73. A total of 65 golfers completed the first 18 holes.
The 290 team score earned by Willamette and Whitman gave the co-leaders a two-stroke lead on the team leaderboard. Whitworth held third place at 292. Linfield and the University of Puget Sound were tied for fourth place at 305, while the Willamette "B" team and Pacific University were tied for sixth at 312. Whitworth's "B" team was eighth at 314, with George Fox University in ninth at 319, and Lewis & Clark College in 10th at 339.
Sunday's final round will begin at 8:30 a.m. (PDT) with all groups starting on the first hole. Willamette's "B" team has tee times between 9:20 a.m. and 10 a.m., while the Willamette "A" team has tee times from 10:10 through 10:50 a.m.
