Men's golf returns to competition at Polar Beaver Classic

HARROD, Ohio – Defiance College men's golf teed off the spring season with a trip to Hidden Creek Golf Club north of Lima as Ohio Northern and Bluffton hosted 14 other programs for the Polar Beaver Classic. The Yellow Jackets compiled a 752 over Friday and Saturday to finish 16th in the field.

Bretton Basford (Fr./Pennville, Ind./Winchester) was the top golfer for Defiance with a consistent weekend on rounds of 89 and 88 for 177, which was the second-lowest 36-hole score of his career. Friday's round was bolstered by a birdie on the 12th hole, which just four players beat par for the tournament. Basford's second round saw him make the turn with a 43 and closed the round with four straight pars.

Sam Boyles (Fr./Navarre, Oho/Fairless) edged out teammate Zach Canterbury (Jr./Tontogany, Ohio/Otsego) with a 189 for the tournament compared to 191. Boyles bounced back after a round of 100 on Friday with an 89 on Saturday. Canterbury was much more even with rounds of 96 and 95. Canterbury also carded a birdie on the 16th hole in round two.

Brendan Garvin (Sr./Vancouver, Wash./Prairie) compiled a two-day score of 195, and Will Garlock (Sr./Lima, Ohio/LCC) shot 108 and 107 for a 215 tournament.

Spalding University broke par by one stroke as a team and swept the team and individual titles. Entering the second day of competition trailing Franklin by two strokes, the Eagles shaved 11 strokes off their previous day and completed a one-under-par 575 team total, which edged out the Grizzlies by one stroke. Nolan Keeler earned medalist honors with a five-under 139 over 36 holes. He trailed Franklin's Blake Hammond by one stroke after the first 18 holes before turning in a stellar round of 67 to claim the win by three strokes.

The Yellow Jackets are back on the course on Tuesday with a one-day tournament at Legacy Golf Club in Ottawa Lake, Mich., which will be hosted by Lourdes University.

-JACKETS-