Caseyville, IL - The McKendree University Men's Golf program had a large field of 15 golfers at their home Bearcat Dual Gender on Monday and Tuesday. The Bearcats battled fierce wind conditions that made playing holes difficult, as wind direction and speed were both different from tee box to approach shot. Nonetheless, McKendree's A-Team would finish in 7th place (+48), the B-Team would finish in 9th place (+56), with a group of five individuals competing alongside the two teams, but not as scoring players. Edison Wu (+7) led the A-Team, while Aidan O'Keefe (+7) led the B-Team. Carter Rose (+14) was the lowest-scoring individual. Quincy (+27) would win the team title, while the Hawks' Griffin Taylor (+3) won medalist honors by a singular stroke, as the Top 10 individuals were only separated by four strokes total. 

BREAKING DOWN THE A-TEAM BEARCATS
Edison Wu | 6TH PLACE | +7 / 223
Wu delivered McKendree's strongest showing at Far Oaks, finishing at 223 with rounds of 77, 70, and 76. His tournament turned on a stellar second round, where he fired a two-under 70 behind five birdies and just one bogey over the final 14 holes. Wu played the par-5s in -3 for the event and and was particularly sharp on the back nine, going -2 in both rounds 2 and 3. Across the three days, he tallied 8 birdies, 32 pars, and limited big numbers - posting no doubles or worse after the opening round. 

Trystan Du Plessis | 22ND PLACE | +13 / 229
Du Plessis opened with a statement round, carding a two-under 70 behind six birdies and just four bogeys, including a blazing 34 (-2) on the front nine. He followed with rounds of 81 and 74 to close at 225 (+13) for the tournament. Du Plessis's par-5 play stood out - he went three-under on those holes across 54 holes - and he found red numbers on eight different holes for the week. He answered on the final round with a 38-36 split, highlighted by birdies on 3, 7, and 18.

Dhayanij Iemkanitchat | 33RD PLACE | +15 / 231
Iemkanitchat turned in rounds of 78, 73, and 80 to finish at 231 (+15). His strongest showing came in Round 2, when he fired a one-over 73 highlighted by birdies on 1, 2, and 14, and a bogey-free back nine. Across 54 holes, he recorded 7 birdies and 26 pars, showing the ability to bounce back after tough stretches. Iemkanitchat played the par-5s at -2 for the week and posted back-to-back birdies on Holes 1 and 2 in both the second and third rounds. 

Tristan Traustason | 39TH PLACE | +19 / 235
Traustason opened the tournament in electric fashion, firing a one-under 71 in round 1 that included six birdies and a front-nine 32 (-4) - one of the lowest single-round halves in the field. He closed with rounds of 82 and 82 to finish at 235, anchored by nine total birdies and 24 pars over the three days. Traustason dominated the front nine throughout, playing it even par for the week, highlighted by birdies on holes 1, 3, 7, and 9 in the opener. 

Ethan Lang | 50TH PLACE | +24 / 240
Lang turned in rounds of 77, 86, and 77 to post a 240 finish. His opening round was his most efficient, featuring five birdies and a -1 front nine, highlighted by birdies on holes 6 and 9. Lang rebounded from a tricky middle round with another 77 (+5) on the final round, thanks to a clean stretch of six pars in seven holes midway through the back nine. Across the event, he recorded 8 birdies and 26 pars, and played the par-5s in even par overall. 

BREAKING DOWN THE B-TEAM BEARCATS
Aidan O'Keefe | 6TH PLACE | +7 / 223
O'Keefe put together one of McKendree's most balanced efforts of the week, finishing at 223 with rounds of 74, 76, and 73. He opened with a sharp 35 (-1) on the front nine in Round 1 and closed the event strong, posting his best score on the final round. Across 54 holes, O'Keefe tallied 8 birdies and 33 pars, including three birdies in his final six holes on Tuesday. His par-4 performance stood out - playing them at just +5 for the tournament - and he handled the front nine even par overall. 

Matthew Wood | 34TH PLACE | +16 / 232
Wood opened strong and kept himself in contention throughout the event, finishing at 232 with rounds of 75, 74, and 83. His second round was the highlight, where he carded a four-under 32 on the front nine that featured five birdies in the first eight holes. Over 54 holes, Wood recorded 9 birdies and 28 pars, showing he could generate red numbers in bunches when he found rhythm early. He also handled the par-5s in two-under for the week and turned in back-to-back sub-76 rounds to open play. 

Jack LeMatty | 39TH PLACE | +19 / 235
LeMatty pieced together three consistent rounds of 78, 78, and 79 to finish at 235. He found early momentum in Round 1, carding a birdie on the par-5 9th to help balance a front-nine 41, then steadied himself on the back with a clean 37. Across 54 holes, LeMatty totaled 4 birdies and 29 pars, highlighted by back-to-back rounds of 78 that set the tone. His best scoring stretch came late in Round 2, where he played five of his final six holes at even par. 

Pe Nontarux | 46TH PLACE | +21 / 237
Nontarux capped his event with rounds of 77, 83, and 76 for a 236 finish. He got off to a hot start in Round 1, rolling in a birdie on the par-4 4th and playing the back nine at +1 to lead the squad early. Across the event, Nontarux tallied 5 birdies and 27 pars, highlighted by a strong bounce-back performance on Sunday when he posted 39-37 for his lowest round of the week. His best scoring holes came on the par-4s, where he managed them at +6 total for the event, and he consistently found fairways on the front side, shooting 39 or 40 in every round. 

Josh Belzer | 52ND PLACE | +31 / 247
Belzer closed out play at Far Oaks with rounds of 87, 76, and 84, finishing at 247. He found rhythm in round two, turning in a clean 39-37 split that included two birdies and 10 pars, marking his best round of the event. Belzer played the par-5s in +1 for the week, highlighted by a birdie on the 18th in back-to-back rounds. Across 54 holes, he notched 4 birdies and 25 pars, recovering well and showing a composed short game around the greens. 

INDIVIDUAL BEARCATS' FINAL TOTALS
Carter Rose | 26th Place | +14 / 230
6 Birdies, 31 Pars

Edgar Betoret | T-36th Place | +18 / 234
8 Birdies, 24 Pars

Kyle Peck | T-36th Place | +18 / 234
9 Birdies, 27 Pars

Edward Rockall | 53rd Place | +35 / 251
1 Eagle, 5 Birdies, 24 Pars

Keegan Rose | 55th Place | +38 / 254
3 Birdies, 20 Pars

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational
at The Pearl Club - Owensboro, KY
Saturday & Sunday, October 25th-26th