RU MEN'S GOLF SEASON REVIEW
Battle Creek, MI – The RU men's golf season came to an end at the WHAC Championship at Bedford Valley Golf Club. While short-handed due to COVID protocols, the Warriors still saw three members of the team post individual scores. The WHAC Championship was the final leg of a season-long campaign through the 2020-2021 school year.
The Warriors started off fall competition with a 7th place finish at the Lourdes University Invitational at Legacy Golf Club. The Warriors were led by Dominic Gappy's 80, quickly followed by Jacob Gernaat and Anthony Carlier's 81's. Together, the team put up a 333, leading them to place higher than conference foes Concordia and Cornerstone.
The Warriors continued the fall slate with a 2nd place finish at the Concordia University Invitational. Gernaat finished 3rd individually leading the Warriors with a 78, followed by Gappy's 81 and Todd Cowlishaw's 88. The Warriors were once again able to beat conference opponents Concordia, in addition to Cleary, finishing only behind Lourdes who took home the team trophy.
The Warriors then competed in the first of two invitationals held by Lawrence Tech. The first took place at Farmington Hills Golf Club where the Warriors finished 5th as a team. Gernaat posted another solid round of 80 to pace the Warriors and finish T-13. The second LTU invitational was held at Washtenaw Golf Club where the Warriors took 7th overall. Gernaat posted his 2nd 5th-place or better finish with a 79 to once again pace the Warriors who again were able to beat Concordia as a team.
The Warriors then traveled to Chemung Hills to compete in a tournament hosted by Cleary where they finished 3rd as a team.
The Warriors rounded out the season at the WHAC Preview where three Warriors were able to compete in the 36-hole event on the cold October day. Gernaat once again finished in the top-15 with a 13th place 77-81.
The spring season saw the Warriors play in two lead-up events to the conference tournament. The first was the Saints Spring Invite held by Aquinas College at Sunnybrook Country Club. The Warriors were able to finish 6th as a team. Gernaat once again paced the Warriors with an 81, but was quickly followed by Aaron Berry, who made his season debut, shooting 82. Gappy also added an 82, while Carlier posted an 88 to round out the Rochester team score. Rochester once again finished higher than Cornerstone in the event.
Further COVID issues led to the Warriors' inability to post a team score for the rest of the spring season. Gernaat and Berry were able to take part in the Lourdes Spring Invitational and shot 82 and 86, respectively.
Due to COVID protocols, the Cleary Spring Invitational was cancelled, leaving the Warriors to complete their season at the WHAC Championship. Gernaat once again paced the Warriors in the 54-hole marathon shooting a consistent 79-79-80 to finish in the top 20.
Overall, the Warriors finished the season competitive with the rest of the conference. Unfortunately, COVID protocols made the season come and go in fits and starts, but consistent play by Gernaat and great team contributions by Berry, Gappy, Carlier, and Cowlishaw led to competitive finishes in a number of tournaments throughout the season. The Warriors will look ahead to a hopefully-more-normal fall season in the fall of 2021.