Over the holiday weekend the Bison men’s golf team took a trip to Verona, New York, to play in the Red Bandanna Invitational. They joined ten other schools at the Turning Point Resorts’ Kaluhyat Golf Course for the two-day tournament. Boston College hosted the Red Bandanna tournament. The name of the tournament honors Boston College alumni Welles Crowther, who sadly passed away on Sept. 11, 2001. Crowther is seen as an American hero for the sacrifices he made that day, saving over a dozen people from the unforgettable tragedy. Boston College has since honored his sacrifice in many sporting events. This weekend’s tournament is one of many events schools nationwide should take pride in partaking in, and the Bison indeed showed their hearts out this weekend.
Day 1:
The first day at Kaluhyat was split into two rounds, with the Bison showing out in both. They shot a combined +8 after the first day. This excellent performance from the team saw them second on the team leaderboard at the conclusion of the first day. Day one was led by senior Ian Simonich. He shot +1 over the first day, an outstanding performance headlined by the senior’s combined 28 pars and three birdies. Day one also saw senior Josh Galvin shoot +5 through the two rounds. Junior Rylin Petry was another Bison with a standout day, shooting +4. Petry and Galvin had similar days, both shooting even in the second round. Freshman Sean Moore made noise Sunday, shooting +2 in his first showing. Moore made a great first impression for the Bison Sunday, being one of the critical factors in their success in the tournament. The final two NDSU golfers to participate on Sunday were Gabe Benson and Jake Skarperud. Benson shot +5 on the day, with Skarperud shooting +6. The Bison had a great first day in New York.
Round 1:
Round one was definitely the day’s highlight for the Bison. The first round saw three Bison shoot under par, with Benson and Moore shooting -2. Moore’s round one was highlighted by 16 pars and two birdies on the 10th and 11th holes. Benson birdied on holes 6, 11, 14 and 16. If it had not been for a few bogeys, he could have been one of the best performers from the round. The other standout performance from Sunday’s first round was Ian Simonich, shooting -1. Simonich’s first round was highlighted by his consistency; after a bogey on hole 1, he bounced back with 15 pars and two birdies, an excellent performance from the senior, which put him in position to be one of the standout day one performers. Some other highlights from the first round are Jake Skarperud and Josh Galvin having three birdies a piece. The first round was a consistent showing from the Bison, finishing +4 as a team, tied for second with Sacred Heart.
Round 2:
Round two saw a more evened-out performance from the Bison. The Bison shot +4 once again. This would be the third-best score of the round, with only Toledo and Boston College finishing ahead of them. The two Bison standouts from round two were Rylin Petry and Josh Galvin, who both shot even par. The rest of the Bison all shot over par, with Simonich and Skarperud shooting +2, Moore shooting +4, and Benson shooting +8.
Day 2
After the great first day in New York, the Bison were looking to hold onto second place going into the third and final round of the Red Bandanna Invitational. They did exactly this, finishing the day three strokes ahead of Sacred Heart. The Bison finished +21 as a team, falling 18 strokes behind the host Boston College. Day two was led by Rylin Petry, who built off his round two performance to finish a stroke under par. Petry was one of only three golfers to finish under par on day two. His three birdies spotlighted his performance. Josh Galvin also had a great showing, shooting +1 for the Bison and having a consistent tournament. Ian Simonich would finish his tournament shooting +4 on day two. Unfortunately for the Bison, Skarperud, Moore, and Benson struggled on day two. Moore and Skarperud both shot +9, and Benson shot +10. It was a rough end to a strong opening tournament for the Bison.
Recap:
The Bison opened up very strongly in New York. They finished second in the tournament, with a lot of high upside from both veterans and debuting Bison—the final tallies read as such. As a team, the team finished +24, with all players finishing in the top 30 of the tournament. The highest-placing Bison was Rylin Petry, who was tied for 6th and finished +3. Petry had six birdies and 41 pars. Petry was followed by Ian Simonich, who finished 11th in the tournament with four birdies and 41 pars. Josh Galvin finished behind Simonich in 12th place, shooting +6 with ten birdies and 30 pars. Freshman Sean Moore finished in a tie for 18th, shooting +11 with four birdies and 35 pars. Jake Skarperud would finish tied for 23rd, shooting +14 with six birdies and 30 pars. Finally, Gabe Benson would finish 26th, shooting +16 with five birdies and 32 birdies. The Bison will continue the season later this month in the Doc Glimmer tournament on September 16 and 17.