The Hope College men’s golf team claimed its 22nd MIAA Championship on the same course as the last one four years ago.
On the L.E. Kaufman Golf Course in Wyoming, Michigan, the Flying Dutchmen returned to the top of the league on Saturday afternoon. The victorious squad were crowned the champions after winning all four jamborees and five of six 18-hole rounds.
“I was looking forward to this season, as much as any fall season that we’ve ever had, and this has I believe been an attainable goal for us. So it’s really satisfying, and fun to watch these players have this opportunity and this success,” said head coach Scott Lokers.
Hope finished with a six-round total of 1,785, 43 strokes better than league runner-up Trine University (1,828). Adrian College finished in third (1,844) ahead of fourth-place Calvin University (1,881).
All four teams qualified for next spring’s NCAA Division III Championship qualifier. The Flying Dutchmen will host the final two rounds of the 54-hole event.
The Flying Dutchmen had all five golfers finish in the Top 20, as well as senior Jack Crawford (Carmel, Indiana / Carmel HS), who played as an individual and finished in a tie for ninth place with a two-day score of 152.
Liam Casey, a freshman from Northville, Michigan (Detroit Catholic Central), finished tied for third to lead the Flying Dutch with a 72 in today’s round and a two-day total of 145.
Senior Seth Almquist (Minneapolis, Minnesota / Wayzata) was next for the orange and blue, carding a 73 today to give him a 148 for the tournament, good enough to finish fifth overall in the individual standings.
Sophomore Will Webb, a Lake Forest, Illinois (Lake Forest) native, scored a 72 in Saturday’s round, to give him a total of 149 to finish tied for sixth.
Freshman Patrick Michael (Carmel, Indiana / Carmel) and junior Will Robson (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids) fired off a 75 and a 76, respectively, to round out the Hope scoring and grab a tie for eleventh and a tie for eighteenth.
“All season long I’ve been saying that depth is one of our greatest strengths, and that has continued through the entire fall,” Lokers said. “The strength of this team is a number of players that can play well on any given day. The other strength of this team is playing for each other and wanting the best for the whole team, and for every individual, and I think that was also part of our success [this season].”
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