By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
AURORA, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's golf team is in third place after the first round of the 2024 Northwest Conference Tournament on Saturday, April 20 at Langdon Farms Golf Club. Preston Lightle (Fy., Victoria, BC, Canada/Belmont Senior Secondary School) of Willamette was in fifth place on the individual leaderboard with a 1-over par 72, just one stroke behind a four-way tie for the lead at even-par 71.
Linfield University topped the team standings with a score of 290, as Douglas Bailey and Trevor Price were both tied for the individual lead. Whitman College was second at 294, with Alex Knox and Mason Remington also tied for the lead. Willamette's score in third place was 302. The Bearcats started slowly on the front nine, but finished with strong play on the back nine, where Willamette earned five of its eight birdies. Whitworth University was fifth at 310, followed by Pacific Lutheran University in sixth at 312, and Pacific University in seventh at 317. The University of Puget Sound was seventh with a score of 326 and George Fox University was eighth at 339. Lewis & Clark College did not enter a complete team.
Joining Lightle on Willamette's team during Saturday's round were Oliver Smith (So., San Jose, CA/Pioneer HS), Jack Carr (Fy., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage HS), Brock Olson (So., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS), and Alexander Papajohn (Fy., Parker, CO/Lutheran HS). Smith carded a 76 and was tied with two golfers for 10th place. Carr and Olson each shot a 77 and were tied with three other golfers for 13th place. Papajohn was part of an eight-way tied for 18th place with a 78.
Bailey and Price of Linfield and Knox and Remington of Whitman led the field at even par 71. Lightle's 72 was next, and then Riley Lynch of Linfield and Sam Pauly of Whitworth were tied for sixth place at 73. Two more golfers, Jacob Smissen of Linfield and Ben Sweet of Whitman, were tied for eighth place at 75. The tie involving Willamette's Smith for 10th place at 76 also featured Charlie Cloud of Pacific and Tanner Frinell of Pacific Lutheran.
Action will continue with the final round on Sunday, April 21 at Langdon Farms. Willamette's tee times are set for 12:20 p.m. for Papajohn, 12:28 p.m. for Carr, 12:36 p.m. for Olson, 12:44 p.m. for Smith, and 12:52 p.m. for Lightle. All of the Bearcats will begin the round on the 10th hole.
The NWC Fall Classic is worth one-fourth of the championship and the NWC Spring Classic is worth one-fourth of the title. The NWC Tournament is worth one-half of the championship. Willamette took fifth place at the NWC Fall Classic and moved into contention for the title by winning the NWC Spring Classic by one stroke over Whitman College and Whitworth University, which tied for second.
Willamette can still win the overall NWC Championship, but the Bearcats will have to finish the NWC Tournament in front of Linfield and Whitworth, while ending the competition two places in front of Whitman.
