Monday, April 19, 2021

DUPONT, Wash. – The Home Course treated Saint Martin’s well today.

The Saints lead the pack after the first two rounds on Monday with three players in the top-five and a 12-stroke lead at 582.

Saints’ senior Tyler Fitchett entered the 2021 GNAC Men’s Golf Championships with the conference’s top stroke average, and he is still on top after carding a 3-under-par 141. He shot 3-under-par 69 in the opening round and even-par 72 in the second, finishing the day with just one bogey on the back nine.

“We’ve had some amazing weather in the last couple of weeks,” Fitchett said. “Overall, it was pretty much ideal scoring conditions out there.”

Junior Max Turnquist provided the Saints with a one-two punch, finishing in a tie for second place with junior Riley Kaercher of Montana State Billings. The two sit at 1-over-par 145. Saints’ junior Jordan Terada is tied for fourth at 2-over-par 146. His day included six birdies and an eagle on the 11th hole of the second round.

“This tournament has been circled on our calendar ever since our schedule came out,” Fitchett said. “I think we’re starting to play well at the right time. All we have to do tomorrow is keep our nose on the grindstone and remember that it’s not done yet. We have to go out there and finish it.”

Kaercher shot 1-over-par 73 in the first round and even-par 72 in the second to lead the Yellowjackets to a one-stroke lead over Western Washington to finish the day in second place on the team leaderboard at 594. Junior Kevin Kolb and senior Garrett Woodin just missed the top-five, sitting in a tie for sixth place at 148.

Western Washington sits 13 strokes back in third place at 595. Freshman Drew Halili is leading the way in a tie for fourth place with Terada at 2-over-par 146. He shot even-par or better in eight of the back nine holes in the first round.

Northwest Nazarene will enter the final round in fourth place with a score of 614. Sophomore Cole Evarts is pacing the Nighthawks in a three-way tie for eighth place at 5-over-par 149 after turning in a 73 in the first round and a 76 in the second.

The final round of the GNAC Men’s Golf Championships begins on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. Spectators are not allowed on the course. A live leaderboard is available at GNACSports.com.