GCU takes last trip before WAC Championship

Wednesday, April 20

Davis, Calif. / El Macero

Grand Canyon

El Macero Classic

Photo by: Garrett Ohrenberg

4/19/2022 4:14:00 PM | Men's Golf

Lopes close out regular season at El Macero Classic

By: Kellie Reynolds

Wednesday-Friday, April 20-22 \| 8:30 a.m. (Phoenix time) \| El Macero, Calif.
	GRAND CANYON Lopes	at	El Macero Classic El Macero Country Club Davis, Calif.

COURSE INFORMATION: El Macero Country Club | LEADERBOARD: View

The Grand Canyon men's golf team is back in action when it finishes the regular season at the El Macero Classic near Sacramento, California.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

SIX LOPES: This weekend will feature a different lineup for the Lopes this season. Freshmen Matteo Cristoni and Sam Murphy will make the trip, along with sophomores Nicky Kling and Craig Passmore, junior Matthew Braley and graduate student Jacob Lackey. Lackey will be the Lopes alternate.
BUILDING OFF UCSB INVITATIONAL: Just a week ago, the Lopes took on the UCSB Collegiate Invitational and, despite Day 1 being cut short, they tied for first with CSUN. Cristoni took home the individual title.
FINAL TOURNAMENT: The Lopes close out the regular season in California before they head to Nevada for the WAC Championship on April 29 through May 1.

EL MACERO CLASSIC

The tournament's field includes host UC Davis, CSU Fullerton, Cal Poly, Denver, Fresno State, Idaho, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Sacramento State, Santa Clara, Seattle U, UCLA, and UC San Diego. Teams will play 54 holes over the three-day tournament, with 18 holes being played each day. The El Macero Country Club course will be set up for a par 72 at 7,138 yards. Scoring will count each five-player team's lowest four scores.

LAST TIME OUT

Cristoni claimed his first collegiate medalist honors to help the Lopes tie for first place at the UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational on Tuesday. GCU had two players finish in the top five with a third finishing in the top 20.

Cristoni, who is from Modena, Italy, jumped 20 spots from his opening-day round to win the tournament by one stroke. Cristoni shot a tournament-best round of 7-under-par 65 on Tuesday to finish the event at 5 under par and win the tournament, which was reduced to two rounds because of high winds at Sandpiper Golf Course. Cristoni's round ties for the program's third-lowest score by total strokes and second-lowest score by strokes below par of GCU's Division I era.

Fellow GCU freshman Sam Murphy scored 3 under par in the two rounds to come in fourth place.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes will hit the road for the WAC Championship in Boulder City, Nevada, for a three-day tournament beginning on Friday, April 29, at Boulder Creek Golf Course.