Trojans Take Second at Purgatory Intercollegiate
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. – Anchored by a bogey-free, five-under par 67 in the final round from junior Alec Dutkowski, the 13th-ranked Taylor men's golf team earned a second place finish at the Purgatory Intercollegiate.
The Trojans tallied a final round score of 284 (-4) on the 6,950-yard, par-72 layout of Purgatory Golf Club but Indian Hills Community College, the number one ranked junior college in the country, carded a blistering 15-under par 273 to pull away for a 16-shot victory in the 36-hole tournament.
Players were forced to return to the course on Friday morning to play the final holes of the first round which began on Thursday but was suspended due to darkness. When the scores were counted after round one the Trojans trailed Indian Hills CC by six shots after the Indians carded a 287 and Taylor finished at 293.
Senior Trey Turner paced the Trojans in the first round with a 2-under par 70 while Dutkowski added a 73, senior Mitch Lamping fired 74, and senior Nick Waskom added a 76. The Trojans mounted a charge in round two with Dutkowski leading the way at 67 followed by Lamping and Waskom at 72 and a 73 from junior Jeremy Ray while Turner posted a 75.
Dutkowski's two-round total of 4-under par 140 earned the junior All-American a tie for third place. Indian Hills' Julien Sale ran away with the tournament title after matching the Purgatory Golf Club course record with a 9-under par 63 during round two to finish at 11-under par 133.
Turner also managed a top-10 finish with a tie for ninth at 145 (70-75). Lamping finished in a tie for 12th at 146 (74-72) while Waskom was close behind in a tie for 14th at 148.
The Taylor B-team also turned in solid performances with sophomore Scottie Marston posting a 152 (77-75) while fellow sophomore Nate Morris finished at 158 (77-81). Sophomore Noah Miller carded a career-best round of 76 in round one and added an 87 in the final round. Freshman Keegan White posted 86-78 while senior Josh Stimmel went 83-82.
Taylor bested No. 19 Cardinal Stritch by 16 shots after the Wolves posted 301-292. TU also finished ahead of several Crossroads League teams at the site of the 2018 Crossroads League championship as the Trojans defeated Indiana Wesleyan (311-305), Saint Francis (308-310), Mount Vernon Nazarene (310-311), Huntington (314-308), Spring Arbor (323-313), and Bethel (333-316).
The Trojans now set their sights on the TPC Deere Run Invitational scheduled for next weekend at TPC Deere Run, the site of the PGA Tour's John Deer Classic.