Golf opens up spring season with strong finish at the GCU Invitational

By Cassandra Ercoli, Sports Reporter

The Canisius Golf team kicked off their spring season with a two-day tournament at the Grand Canyon University Invitational, where the Griffs posted a sub-295 round this past Wednesday in Phoenix, AZ. Canisius' combined score of 899 placed them 18th overall for the tournament.

The Griffs collected a team score of 305 after one round of action, where sophomore Mikey Takacs led the Griffs with his best showing of the tournament with a one-over-par performance. Takacs finished his tournament shooting 73 on the final round, tying him for a 51st place finish. 

Senior Ryan Edholm started his competition with a score of 74, which was good for second on the team. It was the second and third round where Edholm played his best golf. The senior posted back-to-back even-par rounds with a score of 71. His cumulative score of 216 was good for a 24th place finish, which also matched his career-best for a 54-hole event, dating back to the 2023 MAAC Championship. 

Despite a rocky first two rounds on Tuesday, sophomore Jacob Dantonio was able to pull together a score of 75 on Wednesday, finishing with a score of 236. Freshman Chase Burgess stayed consistent throughout the week, shooting 75, 76 and 75. 

Grand Canyon University came away with the win posting the only sub-par score of 840 (-12). New Mexico State finished second with a score of 853 (+1) while University of the Pacific claimed the final spot on the podium scoring 854 (+2).

The Griffs will return to the tee box March 22, when they take part in the two-day Carpetbagger Classic hosted by Binghamton University in Urbana, MD. 

Photo courtesy of Shawn Gillen