BRUNSWICK, ME (April 29, 2024) -- For the first time in program history, the Tufts University men's golf squad can call itself conference champions.
The Jumbos rallied from down two strokes following round one to pull away for an emphatic six-stroke win, shooting a season-best 291 Sunday to claim the 2024 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title in play from Brunswick Golf Club in Brunswick, Maine.
With the championship, the Jumbos will head to the 2024 NCAA Championships for the first time ever, as the team will travel to Boulder City, NV and Boulder Creek Golf Club on May 14-17. The title didn't come without nervous times for Jumbo fans, as Tufts took a lead early on in the day and then had to fend off charges late from Hamilton College. In the end though, the Continentals faded and Tufts got stronger over the last five holes to earn the title.
The Jumbos become the seventh school to earn the NESCAC title since the first championship played back in 1984, while the 587 two-day score was the best since Williams shot a 586 back in 2016-17. The key to the victory for the Jumbos was its ability hit the clutch shot, as Tufts led the field with 31 birdies as well as one eagle. The Jumbos were seventh in pars on the weekend with 100, but was second among teams in scoring on par-3, par-4 and par-5 holes. The 291 Sunday also tied for the best team score for a single round in NESCAC Tournament history for the Jumbos (2016).
Furthermore, senior
Jack Meehan rallied from down two shots late to pick up Co-Individual Medalist honors after shooting a three-under 69 on Sunday to finish the tournament one-under. Meehan was one-over through nine holes, but charged late with a four-under 33 on the way in including back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th hole to tie for the title. On the 18th hole, Meehan also nailed a 20-foot, downhill putt to record a four on the par-five, 601-yard 18th to finish the day with the best round of the weekend and the share of the conference crown.
For Meehan, it was his third NESCAC individual medalist of his career, as he finished 2022 with a 143 to earn the title while also posting a share of the championship during the CoVID-19 year NESCAC Tournament in 2021. Meehan becomes the first three-time individual medalist in NESCAC Tournament history. For the weekend, Meehan had the best scoring average on par-4s, shooting even, while also posting the tournament's best par-5 score of minus-four. For the weekend Meehan tallied nine birdies, second-most of any player in the field.
Another huge key to the win for the Jumbos was the play of
Reed Bodley, who shot a two-under 70 on Sunday to finish third overall with his two-day 144. After a pretty smooth first nine of 34, posting one birdie and eight pars, he had to scramble some on the back nine. Bodley birdied four holes on the way in, which made up for a bogey and double bogey to still chalk up the strong round. For the weekend, Bodley was minus-3 on par-3 holes, the best of any player in the field, while also recording nine birdies on the weekend.
The Jumbos saw No. 5 player
JP Noone step up Sunday with the team's third under-par score of the day, as he tallied a 71 to finished tied for 12th for the weekend. Noone had the team's lone eagle this weekend, posting a three on the par-5 seventh to shoot a two-under through nine. Noone was three-under through 11 holes Sunday before finishing one-under thanks to five straight pars on the way in to add to the team score. Noone recorded a six-over 150 for the weekend.
Nick McCabe and
Holden Kittelberger both shot 81s on the day Sunday, as McCabe finished tied for 26th on the weekend with a 154 while Kittelberger was tied for 30th with a 156. McCabe tallied 23 pars for the 36 holes, which ranked tied for fifth most of any player.
Hamilton was the team runner-up after tallying a 593 for the weekend, shooting a 298 on Sunday. Trinity College moved up three spots to tie for third after a 293 Sunday, evening the Bates College weekend score of 596 as the Bobcats dropped two positions after leading following day one. Individually, Meehan tied with Bates' Henry Ehrlich, who shot a two-under 70 on Sunday for a two-day 143.
The NCAA will release the full field for the NCAA Championships Monday, May 6 with a press release on NCAA.com.
--JUMBOS--
