Spartans Surge Into Team Lead During Second Round of 2023 Folds of Honor Collegiate
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. - After an opening-round 291 (+7) put them in a tie for 10th, Michigan State recorded the only under-par round on the team leaderboard Tuesday (279, -5) to take a three-shot lead after the second round of the 2023 Folds of Honor Collegiate at American Dunes Golf Club.
“After a pretty poor start yesterday, getting off to a good start was all we were focused on,” said Spartans head coach and tournament co-host Casey Lubahn. “We had a couple of bogeys early and talked about bogey avoidance more than making birdies, and that was more key than shooting an under-par round. We were able to be real steady and find a way to be disciplined enough to not let the golf course get us.”
All four counting scores for Michigan State were par or better on Tuesday, including from senior August Meekhoff and junior Ashton McCulloch, who carded four birdies each and finished with two-under 69s. Meekhof (T4), McCulloch (T7), and graduate student Drew Hackett (T9) enter Wednesday’s final round inside the top 10.
NC State’s Nick Mathews extended his individual lead to three after three birdies helped lead to a one-under 70 round.
“The wind picked up a little bit today and I thought it was a great challenge out there,” Mathews said.
Only 14 players recorded a round of par or better on Tuesday, including Mathews’ Wolfpack teammate Joey Lenane. The sophomore from Dedham, Mass. used five birdies and an eagle on the 538-yard 18th hole to score a four-under 67 and the lowest individual round of the day.
The final round of the 2023 Folds of Honor Collegiate is slated to tee off at 8:30 AM EST due to the possibility of inclement weather. Follow this link for live scoring and Golf Channel’s live coverage beginning at 2 PM EST.
About Folds of Honor
Folds of Honor is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of military members who have fallen or been disabled while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Beginning in 2022, it expanded its mission to include first responders. Our educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, tuition for college, technical or trade school and post-graduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate, or professional program. Funds for a second bachelor’s degree or trade/technical program certification are also available. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded about 44,000 scholarships totaling about $200 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 41 percent are minorities. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on GuideStar. It was founded by Lt Col Dan Rooney, the only-ever F-16 fighter pilot (with three combat tours in Iraq) and PGA Professional. He is currently stationed at Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service Detachment 1, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. For more information or to donate in support of a Folds of Honor scholarship visit foldsofhonor.org.
About American Dunes Golf Club
In 2006, the Grand Haven Golf Club hosted a small golf tournament that would inspire the formation of Folds of Honor. The Grand Haven Golf Club closed in 2018 and a small group of patriots joined together with Jack Nicklaus to create American Dunes. The mission of American Dunes is unwavering. We are honored to raise awareness and funds for the families of our fallen and disabled veterans. Jack Nicklaus led the project by donating his $3,000,000 design fee, a group of 18 individuals sponsored a hole and five private investors joined together to preserve the birthplace of Folds of Honor. The grand opening of American Dunes Golf Club took place on May 2, 2021, and the Club donated $1.1 million to Folds of Honor in 2022. Please visit www.americandunesgolfclub.com for more information.
About Golf Coaches Association of America
Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of men's collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA's mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic, and civic endeavors. For more information about the GCAA, please visit www.collegiategolf.com.
About HNS Sports Group
HNS Sports Group is well-positioned to assist companies that find value in the golf industry and build and execute comprehensive golf branding or sponsorship strategies. Effectively understanding the golf marketplace today is a significant challenge, the HNS Sports Group team possesses over 125 years of collective experience that is applied to lead companies in their efforts to maximize value from golf sponsorship and event participation.