Goucher Men's Golf Awarded 2020 Landmark Conference Men's Golf Title

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Goucher College men's golf team has been awarded the 2020 Landmark Conference Men's Golf Championship announced by the league on Tuesday. With the title, the Gophers have won all three conference crowns since the league started sponsoring men's golf as a varsity sport in 2018.

The Landmark Conference Men's Golf Championships were scheduled to conclude April 26, but due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Landmark cancelled the 2020 spring season in March.

As a result, the 2019-20 Landmark team title was determined by the results from the 2019 Landmark Fall Preview, which took place October 5 at the Scotch Valley Country Club and was hosted by Juniata College. They played a single round of 18 holes.

"I'm extremely proud of our players and their third straight conference championship," said head coach Hunter Brown. "The maturity they have shown in consistently winning championships is very impressive. I'm sorry that they didn't get to see the rewards of the hard work in this year's national championship, but we're all working as hard as we ever have to put our first senior class in position to compete for the championship next year."

The Gophers won the fall preview for the second-straight year In October, but this time it was by just one stroke over Scranton. Goucher's Top-4 scores were 76,77,78,78 while the Royals' Top-4 scores were 71,77,78,84 to give the Gophers the title by the score of 309 to 310.

 Julian Gonzalez (Heredia, Costa Rica/Berkeley Academy shot a 76 to finish second, five strokes behind the medalist. The sophomore had a one-over par 38 on the first nine holes after bogeys on No. 1 and 3 and a birdie on No. 9. He then posted a three-over 38 on the final nine holes thanks to a bogey on No. 12 and a double bogey on No. 16.

"When we started the program three years ago, we couldn't have imagined that we'd win three in a row," said Yue. "I'm proud of my teammates. We've worked hard for it and earned it."

The other four Gophers on the team also shot in the 70s and finished in the Top-8. Evan Yue (Beijing, China/IMG Academy) finished fourth with a score of 77 while Nick Fisher (Fishers, Ind./Fishers), Steph Lee (Manalapan, N.J./St. John Vianney) and Roberto Mikse (Fort Worth, Texas/Jim McClean Junior Academy) finished tied for eighth with a 78.

Yue shot a two-over 39 in the first nine holes thanks birdies on No. 6 and 9, bogeys on No. 1 and 8 and a double bogey on No. 7. The junior then carded bogeys on No. 12, 13 and 15 to post a three over 38 on the back nine.

"Good things take time. Even though we didn't get to play the national championship this year, we're going to keep working hard to get in the top 25 in the national rankings next year and go to the national championship ready to compete. That has been our goal since the beginning."

Fisher fired a four-over 41 to start his round after birdies on No. 4 and 9, bogeys on No, 3, 6, 7, 8 and a double bogey on No. 5. The sophomore then wrapped up his round with a two-over par on the back nine after birdies on No. 14 and 16 along with bogeys on No. 10, 11, 13 and 18.

Lee fired a four-over 41 on the front nine just like Fisher thanks to bogeys on No. 3, 5, 7 and 8. He then had bogeys on No. 10 and 11 before concluding his round clean the rest of the way for a two-over 37 on the back nine.

Mikse shot a one-over 38 to open his round after a birdie on No. 3 and a bogeys on No. 5 and 7. Mikse then posted a five-over 40 on the final nine holes with a birdie on No. 14, bogeys on No. 11, 12 and 13 and a triple bogey on No. 18.

After Goucher and Scranton in the team standings, Catholic (320), Drew (325), Susquehanna (330), Juniata (349) and Elizabethtown (359) rounded out the seven-team field.