Spartans, Lakers Lead After Two Rounds of 2024 Folds of Honor Challenge
ALLENDALE, Mich. - The Aurora men and Grand Valley State women lead the 2024 Folds of Honor Challenge heading into Tuesday’s final round at The Meadows at Grand Valley State University.
Fresh off an opening-round two-under 70 that included four birdies, Odessa’s Adam Bresnu took the men’s individual lead early on Monday and didn’t look back. The sophomore from Rabat, Morocco, carded six birdies and a five-under 66 for a four-shot advantage heading into Tuesday’s final round.
“I was really solid,” said Bresnu. “I took 16 or 17 greens today, so I had almost every chance to make birdie. I was +1 after two holes but told myself to be patient, which led to three birdies in a row. I said that it was time to have fun and I did. I am proud of myself and that means that the work pays. If I can stay patient, be proud of what I do, and play for my team and family, I can do it. This tournament is really important for us and it is important to make my coach proud of me and us.”
Even with a five-over 289 on the day next to their name, Aurora stretched their 18-hole lead and tops the team leaderboard by five over Mississippi Gulf Coast. Jackson Hulsey (T2; 71-69, -2), Caleb Negley (fifth; 71-71, E), and Mattias Morris (T10; 73-74, +5) paced the Spartans.
“We had some highs and lows today,” Aurora Head Coach Justin Wyeth said. “We turned it around quickly when we were going south a little bit, which is important on this course. It’s special being in this position right now. We’re a small school out of Chicago that not a lot of people know about, so it’s pretty cool to be playing with national championship programs from every different level.
“We’re going to have the most fun tomorrow,” continued Wyeth. “We’re going to be laid-back and be who we are. That’s what Aurora University is.”
Grand Valley State and Findlay went back and forth atop of the women’s leaderboard for the second consecutive day. Making a push late in the round with their entire lineup inside the top 15, the Lakers lead by one shot while the Oilers’ Mary Kelly Mulcahy (73-71, +2) leads 18-hole leader Olivia Stoll by two.
“I struggled ball-striking in general yesterday, so I went into today trying to swing freely and be confident,” Mulcahy said. “I started early with a couple of birdies on the front nine but made a couple of bogeys coming in. Especially here, if you don’t three-putt and you make putts inside of 10 feet, you’ll be in good shape. I haven’t had a three-putt yet and have made some putts, so having confidence on the green and working on off-the-tee will get me ready for tomorrow.”
“We started a little shaky but grinded it out on the back,” said Grand Valley State Head Coach Rebecca Mailloux. “I’m super impressed with how we played 1 and 18 today. We kind of made a mess of 1 yesterday, but today we were one-under on 18 as a team and even-par on 1, which are two of the hardest holes on the course for the ladies.
“The way this golf course is playing, you have to do a lot of calculating,” Mailloux continued. “The course was a little more receptive than yesterday, but it’s still playing tough and fair. You have to play smart and miss in the right areas. If we keep using our home course advantage tomorrow, hopefully we’ll be playing next year at American Dunes.”
The final round of the 2024 Folds of Honor Challenge will have a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. ET. Follow this men’s link and women’s link for live scoring.
About Folds of Honor
Folds of Honor is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of US military service members and first responders who have fallen or been disabled while serving our country and communities. 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 over 52,000 scholarships totaling about $244 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 45 percent are minorities. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on Candid. 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 The Meadows at Grand Valley State University
The Meadows has been the host of nine NCAA National Championships, including the NCAA Division II Women's National Championships in 1996, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2011, and 2015, as well as NCAA Division II Men's National Championship in 2001, 2007, and 2014. Please visit www.gvsu.edu/meadows 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.