Willamette is Tied for 3rd, Mitzel is Tied for 2nd, at Puget Sound Invitational

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

BREMERTON, Wash. -- The Willamette University Bearcats were tied for third place in the team standings and Peter Mitzel (Sr., Red Bluff, CA/Red Bluff HS) was tied for second place on the individual leaderboard, as the first round ended at the University of Puget Sound Invitational on Saturday, March 4. The tournament, which is being played at Gold Mountain Golf Club, is slated to conclude with another 18 holes on Sunday, March 5.

Pacific Lutheran University finished the day in first place at even par 284. Olympic College (Wash.) was second at 290, with Willamette and Grays Harbor Community College tied for third at 302. Whitworth University and Puget Sound shared fifth place with matching scores of 311. Pacific University and Whitman College were tied for seventh at 321.

Mitzel shot a 2-under-par 69 and was tied for second place with Kyle Drugge from Pacfic Lutheran. They were both two strokes off the pace set by Davis Gullikson from Olympic College, who completed the round in first place with a 4-under-par 67.

Three golfers -- Mitch Baldridge and Thomas Huddleston of PLU, and Hunter Hechtman from Olympic College -- were tied for fourth place with scores of 1-under-par 70. Trent Jones (So., Kenmore, WA/Shorecrest HS) of Willamette was alone in seventh place at 1-over-par 72.

Eighth place was a tie between Justin Cox from Grays Harbor and Keegan Loo from Whitworth at 73. Another five golfers, including Willamette athletes Sam Hinton (So., Seaside, OR/Seaside HS) and Spencer Hong (Jr., Bellevue, WA/Singapore American School), were tied for 10th place at 74. A total of 45 golfers are entered in the tournament.

Other competitors for Willamette on Saturday were Clark Wilson (Sr., Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS), Kenneth Sheldon (So., Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) and Collin Fuller (Sr., Grants Pass, OR/Grants Pass HS). Wilson and Sheldon each shot a 78, while Fuller carded an 80.

Jones, Hinton, Wilson, Sheldon and Fuller form Willamette's team entry, with their top four scores counting toward the team total each day. Mitzel and Hong are competing as individuals.