Trojans Finish Third at Whistling Straits
KOHLER, Wisc. – Freshmen Alec Dutkowski and Chase Picken led the Taylor men's golf team to a third place finish in the Kohler Collegiate Classic at the famous Whistling Straits Golf Course on Tuesday.
Dutkowski fired a final round 73 (+1) to earn a fourth place finish and a spot on the all-tournament team with a two-day total of 150 (77-73) while Picken carded a final round 75 (+3) to finish with a two-day total of 152 and claim seventh place in the 95-player field. The top-five finish for Dutkowski was his second top-5 and fourth top-10 of the fall season while Picken became the fifth different Trojan to log a top-10 finish during the fall campaign.
The Trojans entered Tuesday's final round with a seven shot lead over NCAA Division II Northern Michigan and an eight shot advantage over 3rd-ranked Keiser (Fla.) but the Trojans couldn't hold off the fast-charging Seahawks from Kesier who carded a blistering final round score of 291 to take home the team title with a two-round total of 606 (315-291). Northern Michigan fired a final round score of 300 to edge Taylor by one shot for third place with two-day total of 614 (314-300).
Taylor finished with a score two-day total of 615 after a final round 308 as sophomores Mitch Lamping and Trey Turner each turned in rounds of 80 while freshman Jeremy Ray carded an 84 as TU's drop score. With a two-round total of 157 (77-80) Turner finished in a tie for 21st while Lamping claimed his fourth top-20 of the season with a tie for 12th and a two-day total of 155 (75-80).
The Trojans, who entered the event ranked 51 in the latest NAIA GolfStat rankings, finished ahead of several teams ranked in the top 50 including No. 10 Texas Wesleyan, No. 33 Our Lady of the Lake, No. 35 Missouri Valley, No. 38 Holy Cross, No. 41 Bellevue, No. 45 Midland, and No. 46 Indiana Tech.
The event marked the final tournament for the Trojans in the 2015 fall campaign. Taylor finishes the fall with two tournament titles, two third place finishes, and a fourth place finish for an overall head-to-head record of 59-7.
