Big Comeback: Bearcats Rally from Eight-Stroke Deficit to Win by 10 Strokes
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Willamette University entered the second round of the Whitman Confluence Classic on Monday, Oct. 24 trailing Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (Calif.) by eight strokes at the top of the team standings. Pomona-Pitzer was in first place with a 13-under par 275 on Sunday at Veterans Memorial Golf Course, while Willamette was in second place at 5-under par 283. On Monday at the Wine Valley Golf Club, the Bearcats roared back, posting an even-par 288 for an overall score of 571 to win by 10 strokes over the Sagehens, who carded a score of 18-over par 3058 to finish at 581.
The incredible rally was led by Jack McMullin (Jr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), who took first place on the individual leaderboard with an overall score of 5-under par 139. He shot a 4-under par 68 in the first round and added a 1-under 71 in the second round.
Andrew Kibbee (Grad., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS) of Willamette earned second place at 140 by carding back-to-back rounds of 2-under par 70. Paxton Jones (So., Wellington, NZ/Scots College) tied for eighth place for the Bearcats with scores of 74 and 71 for a total of 145. Also competing on the Willamette "A" team were Alex Weirth (Sr., Port Orchard, WA/Crosspoint Academy), who tied for 12th at 147 (71-76), and Lucas Paul (Fy., Salem, OR/South Salem HS), who shot 156 (75-81).
Willamette's 571 and Pomona-Pitzer's 581 topped the team standings. Whitworth University was third at 596 (295-301) and Pacific Lutheran University placed fourth at 599 (303-296). Whitman College earned a tie for fifth place at 6010 (293-307), along with North Idaho College (296-304). The Willamette "B" team grabbed seventh place at 603 (303-300). The "B team placed in front of four Northwest Conference "A" teams and the other two NWC "B" teams competing in the event (Whitworth, Linfield). The tournament featured a total of 13 teams.
Brock Olson (Fy., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS) from the Willamette "B" team tied for 10th place in the individual standings at 146 (76-70). Also placing in the top 20 and ties from the "B" team were Riley Lankford (Grad., Pilot Rock, OR/Pilot Rock HS) in 15th place at 148 (72-76) and Oliver Smith (Fy., San Jose, CA/Pioneer HS) in a tie for 17th place at 150 (76-74).
Completing the Willamette "B" team were Carlos Cortes Dequidt (Sr., San Diego, CA/Torrey Pines HS) at 159 (79-80) and Andrew Cerqui (So., Seattle, WA/Bishop Blanchet HS) with an overall score of 161 (81-80). Connor Murphy (Fy., Palm Desert, CA/Xavier College Prep) from Willamette competed as an individual and finished at 162 (81-81).
Following McMullin at 139 (68-71) and Kibbee at 140 (70-70) on the leaderboard was John Kim of Pomona-Pitzer in third place at 142 (67-75). Three golfers tied for fourth at 143, as Jacob Rawley of Whitworth shot 73-70, Joshua Clogston of Pacific Lutheran carded 72-71, and Yuki Bannai of Pomona Pitzer recorded 65-78. Tom Hoyne from Whitman placed seventh at 144. Jones (74-71) of Willamette and Brenden Borck (71-74) from George Fox University tied for eighth place at 145. Olson (76-70)from Willamette and Koen Solis of PLU tied for 10th place at 146.
The Whitman Confluence Classic was the final event of Willamette's fall schedule. The Bearcats will return to action during the 2023 spring semester.