Men’s Golf Concludes Outstanding Week and Season at the NCAA Regional

5/11/2024 12:00:00 AM

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Goldey-Beacom battled tough competition and the weather all weekend looking to secure a trip to the NCAA Championship, but came up just short at the NCAA East/Atlantic Regional in Wheeling, WV.

Camilo Samur (Bucaramanga, Colombia) did everything he could in looking for one of the two at-large berths into the NCAA Championship. Saturday's round saw him eagle the par-five fifth hole, one of just seven eagles by the field on the weekend, before getting two birdies to shoot 71 and end the 54-hole championship with 220.

However, Samur's tie for 11th place put him just three shots out from a trip to nationals. He finished the week tops by averaging 4.11 on par fives and tied for first with 12 birdies.

Pablo Saenz Avila (Bogota, Colombia) birdied the par-five fifth hole as part of his 78 and finished tied for 41st with 230. He opened his week Thursday by carding 75.

Hunter McGee (Almonte, ON) birdied two holes on the front nine and carded 78. Buoyed by his second-round 75, he ended the weekend tied for 57th with 234.

Adrian Bonilla (Almeria, Spain) got a birdie on the par-five fifth hole and closed the day at 81, finishing the tournament tied for 63rd with 237. This included an opening-round 77.

William Kelly (Auckland, New Zealand), who opened the week with 75, on Saturday carded 86 and joined Bonilla in a tie for 63rd with 237.

Goldey-Beacom all week was in contention for a spot in the top five, which would guarantee a berth at the NCAA Championship in Winter Garden, FL. But despite ending sixth on the week with 34 birdies and fourth on par fives with a 5.0 average, the team on Saturday carded 308 to finish ninth with 912.

The weekend marked the final collegiate tournament for McGee and Saenz Avila, both of whom were named to the All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Team five times and leave an indelible legacy that forever will be etched in the College's lore.

McGee during his time was a warrior on the links, repeatedly coming up with low numbers in helping the Lightning get back to the NCAA Regional a third straight year. The 2020-21 CACC Player of the Year and 2021-22 CACC individual champion this season closed second at the CACC Championship in a playoff after carding 210, including an opening-round 68.

He had six top-10 finishes on the year, averaged 73.9 per round entering this week and was ranked fourth in the East Region.

Saenz Avila also was a dynamo, amassing clutch shots and timely putts that also propelled Goldey-Beacom into the spotlight. He was ranked 11th in the East Region, owned a 74.5 scoring average entering this week and had seven top-10 showings on the season. This included four times in the top five, ending second at the West Liberty Invitational with 217.

GBC this season also saw Samur named to the All-CACC Team a third time, Bonilla and Kelly each getting their first such nod with TJ Dekmar named the league's Coach of the Year. The five all-conference members breaks the team record of four set in 2004-05 and it is the sixth time Goldey-Beacom has had at least three.

Goldey-Beacom punched its ticket to this week by winning its second consecutive CACC championship. It was the program's fifth CACC title and this week was its 10th appearance at the NCAA Regionals.

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