GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The Chaminade University men's golf team opened their two-event weekend on Friday with a 592 at the 36-hole Hot Dirt Desert Shootout at the par-72 Golf Club of Estrella.
After posting a 16-over-par 304 in the morning's first 18 holes, the Silverswords made a drastic turnaround in the afternoon's second and final round, firing an even-par to conclude the tournament with a 592, finishing in a tie for 12th with British Columbia Okanagan.
The 16-shot turnaround was tied for the biggest improvement between rounds. Stanislaus State also improved their score by 16 strokes.
The 'Swords' 288 in the final round is the second-lowest 18-hole score in program history, just five shots behind the 283 they shot last October in the HPU Shark Shootout.
Ethan Alexander (New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep) was Chaminade's low scorer of the tournament, shooting an even-par 144, finishing in a six-way for 24th overall. That included a Chaminade record 5-under 67 in the final round, the lowest round in program history. Alexander birdied five of his first 10 holes in the final round and had six in the round.
Ky Stopp (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson) fired a final round 2-under 70 and finished a shot behind Alexander a 1-over 145. The sophomore had two birdies in a bogey-free final round.
Blake Buonopane (Rowley, Mass./St. John's Prep) also had a successful final round with a 1-over 73, concluding the tournament at 7-over 151.
Jack Yeager (San Clemente, Calif./JSerra Catholic) shot an 8-over 152 with
A.J. Dahlk (Centerport, N.Y./Harborfields) shot 173.
Tournament co-host, Colorado Christian University, the No. 1-ranked team in Division II, won the team title with a 541. CCU's Adam Duncan won the individual shot with a 132, two shots better than runner-up Cole Beyer of Colorado Mesa.
The Silverswords, as well as most of the field in the Shootout, will remain in Arizona for The Stack Cougar-Burro Collegiate, co-hosted by CCU and the Colorado School of Mines. The 36-hole event will be over a three-day period starting Sunday with the first two rounds at the Verrado Golf Course in Buckeye, Arizona. The final round will return to the Golf Club of Estrella on Tuesday.
