Bearcats Hold Fifth Place after First Day of NWC Spring Classic

Bryant is Tied for 12th with a 78.

Shane Adversalo shot a 76 on the second day to finish tied with Ben Bryant for fourth at 155. Photo: Willamette.edu

TACOMA, Wash. - Willamette University finished the first day of the NWC Men's Spring Classic in fifth place with a score of 317 in action at the Chambers Bay Golf Course on Monday, March 30.

Pacific University led the field with a team score of 294. Max Bonk of Pacific shot a six-under-par 65 to build a six-stroke lead in the medalist race.

Ben Bryant (Sr., Albany, OR/West Albany HS) was Willamette's top golfer on the first day. He shot a 78 and was tied for 12th on the individual leaderboard. Bryant carded a 38 on the front nine and a 40 on the back nine.

Bonk set the pace with a three-under-par 32 on the front nine and a three-under 33 on the back nine. Tim Andrew, also from Pacific, was in second place with a 71 (35-36). In third place was Alex Finch of Linfield College at 72 (38-34).

Jordan Hodge from the University of Puget Sound and Jason Casey from Pacific Lutheran University were tied for fourth place. Both carded a 73, with Hodge going 33-40 and Casey earning 36-37.

WU's top four finishers on the day were at 80 or under. Bryant led the way, with Shane Adversalo (Jr., Honolulu, HI/University Laboratory School) one stroke back with a 79 (42-37). Adversalo tied for the fifth best score of the day on the back nine, behind Bonk's 33, Fitch's 34 and 36s by Andrew of Pacific and Jeff Aly of Whitworth University.

Rounding out WU's team score were Tyler Robinson (Sr., Salem, OR/Umpqua Valley Christian School) and Taylor McKenzie (Fr., Hermiston, OR/Hermiston HS), each at 80. Robinson shot 38-42 and McKenzie shot 41-39.

Pacific owned a six-stroke lead in the team standings. Linfield was second at 300, with Pacific Lutheran in third at 305. Puget Sound was fourth at 308, followed by Willamette at 317. Whitworth trailed the Bearcats by one stroke at 318 for sixth place. Whitman College was seventh at 320 and George Fox University was eighth at 333. Lewis & Clark College did not compete.

The NWC Spring Classic will conclude with another round on Tuesday, March 31. Tee times are set to begin at 11:20 a.m. (PDT).

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