By Marissa Masano / The Jambar
The Youngstown State University men’s golf team continued its spring season March 18 and 19 at the East Carolina University Intercollegiate.
The two-day event featured 54 holes with a par set at 72. Five golfers represented the Penguins, and one competed individually.
The Penguins finished 13th out of 15 teams and scored a three-round total of 937. ECU finished first with a team total of 879.
Junior Jacob Sylak said the practice round was important for the Penguins despite the loss.
“Knowing where to miss and how the greens moved was the big key for us, especially when playing on a grass different from up here,” Sylak said.
Sylak tied for 41st to lead the Penguins. He finished with a three-round total of 232 and improved from his ranking of 66th on Day One with a first-round score of 80. Sylak was tied for fourth in birdies with nine.
Sylak said course management led to his improvement on the second day.
“The second half of the course was by far the hardest part, and we knew that going in. So, for me, I just wanted to get past that with a reasonable score and put myself in a position to make up ground if needed,” Sylak said.
The next highest finisher for the Penguins was senior Justin Atkinson, who tied for 54th with a three-round total of 234. Within his second-round score of 76, the senior had 12 pars and a birdie.
Redshirt senior Dean Austalosh tied for 58th with a three-round score of 235. During his first-round total score of 75, Austalosh collected 13 pars and a birdie.
Redshirt freshman Michael Porter accumulated a three-round total of 240 to tie for 73rd. Fifth-year senior Jimmy Graham tied for 78th with a three-round total of 242.
Playing as an individual, freshman Jake Ryan finished tied for 85th with a three-round total of 244.
The Penguins went on the road April 1 and 2 as they competed in the Don Benbow Butler Spring Invitational at Highland Golf and Country Club in Indianapolis.
The Penguins tied for 10th with a two-round total of 578. The second day of the event was canceled due to inclement weather, but in the first and second rounds, the team posted scores of 286 and 292, respectively.
Atkinson and Austalosh tied for 22nd with a two-round score of 141. Atkinson and Austalosh earned their fourth and second top-25 finishes this season, respectively.
Butler University and University of Purdue University Fort Wayne shared the tournament title with a two-round team total of 558.
The men’s golf team will travel to Batavia, Ohio on April 6 and 7 to compete in The Jewell hosted by Northern Kentucky University.
