Completed Event: Men's Golf at John A. Burns Intercollegiate on February 12, 2026 , , 13th of 19
M Golf
at John A. Burns Intercollegiate
13th of 19
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Lopes duo sits atop leaderboard after 2 rounds in Kansas
9/17/2023 5:11:00 PM | Men's Golf
GCU enters final round in 4th place at 9 under through 36 holes
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Picking up where they left off is the accurate phrase for how the Grand Canyon men's golf team performed on Day 1 of the Wildcat Invitational on Sunday, when Lopes were atop leaderboard in first and second place with a fourth-place team showing through 36 holes.
The defending WAC champions ended the 2022-23 campaign by winning the conference tournament title in Boulder City, Nevada, and went toe to toe with top teams at the NCAA regional in Morgan Hill, California. It starts the new 2023-24 campaign with seniors Matthew Pennington and Nicky Kling in first and second place, respectively, among an 81-player field.
GCU is 9 under par as a team through 36 holes at Colbert Hills Golf Course near the Kansas State campus. The Lopes shot 3 under in the first round before a second-round, 6-under scorecard put them two shots back of a top-three finish with the final round coming Monday.
Pennington, competing as an individual, began both rounds on hole 18 and ended each round on a hot streak. After an even card through his first 10 holes, the final eight saw the Reno, Nevada, native record two birdies and an eagle on par-five No. 16 to finish his first round at 4 under par. Pennington took that momentum into the second round with seven birdies and only one bogey. He birdied the final three holes of the second round to card a 36-hole, 10-under day for sole possession of first place.
Pennington's competition in second place is a familiar face. Kling totaled a two-round scorecard of 9 under. Kling had eight birdies in his first round and five in the second as he leads the Lopes' team-qualifying scores. Kling is one of two returnees in the starting five who competed in the WAC Tournament and NCAA regional, alongside classmate Tommaso Zorzetto.
GCU senior Craig Passmore shot 1 under Sunday with seven birdies as he sits in a tie for 16th with 18 to play. After starting 2 over through his first nine holes, Passmore tallied four birdies over the final nine of the first round to put himself back into a top-20 spot. Zorzetto is right behind him at even par after he registered six birdies and an eagle on hole 16. Zorzetto is tied for 21st after a 2-under second round.
The Irish duo of junior Josh McCabe and freshman Gavin O'Neill are tied for 24th at 1 over par. McCabe, who competed as an individualist, totaled 10 birdies with seven coming in the second round. O'Neill had seven birdies in the first collegiate tournament. Freshman Warner Beach, who also competed for the first time as a Lope, had five birdies with three coming over the final six holes of his second round. Beach is tied for 56th at 5 over par.
GCU concludes the Wildcat Invitational, a tournament they finished third in last season, on Monday. Host school Kansas State holds the lead at 19 under, followed by second-place Southern Illinois (12 under) and third-place Kansas City (11 under).
The defending WAC champions ended the 2022-23 campaign by winning the conference tournament title in Boulder City, Nevada, and went toe to toe with top teams at the NCAA regional in Morgan Hill, California. It starts the new 2023-24 campaign with seniors Matthew Pennington and Nicky Kling in first and second place, respectively, among an 81-player field.
GCU is 9 under par as a team through 36 holes at Colbert Hills Golf Course near the Kansas State campus. The Lopes shot 3 under in the first round before a second-round, 6-under scorecard put them two shots back of a top-three finish with the final round coming Monday.
Pennington, competing as an individual, began both rounds on hole 18 and ended each round on a hot streak. After an even card through his first 10 holes, the final eight saw the Reno, Nevada, native record two birdies and an eagle on par-five No. 16 to finish his first round at 4 under par. Pennington took that momentum into the second round with seven birdies and only one bogey. He birdied the final three holes of the second round to card a 36-hole, 10-under day for sole possession of first place.
Pennington's competition in second place is a familiar face. Kling totaled a two-round scorecard of 9 under. Kling had eight birdies in his first round and five in the second as he leads the Lopes' team-qualifying scores. Kling is one of two returnees in the starting five who competed in the WAC Tournament and NCAA regional, alongside classmate Tommaso Zorzetto.
GCU senior Craig Passmore shot 1 under Sunday with seven birdies as he sits in a tie for 16th with 18 to play. After starting 2 over through his first nine holes, Passmore tallied four birdies over the final nine of the first round to put himself back into a top-20 spot. Zorzetto is right behind him at even par after he registered six birdies and an eagle on hole 16. Zorzetto is tied for 21st after a 2-under second round.
The Irish duo of junior Josh McCabe and freshman Gavin O'Neill are tied for 24th at 1 over par. McCabe, who competed as an individualist, totaled 10 birdies with seven coming in the second round. O'Neill had seven birdies in the first collegiate tournament. Freshman Warner Beach, who also competed for the first time as a Lope, had five birdies with three coming over the final six holes of his second round. Beach is tied for 56th at 5 over par.
GCU concludes the Wildcat Invitational, a tournament they finished third in last season, on Monday. Host school Kansas State holds the lead at 19 under, followed by second-place Southern Illinois (12 under) and third-place Kansas City (11 under).
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
GCU Baseball at San José State (G2) - Chacon game winner and final out
Sunday, May 03
Baseball at San José State (G1) - Johns' homer
Saturday, May 02
#softball celebrates a 'SHIP on the BUS 🏆🚌
Friday, May 01
5-run bottom 9 to walk it off 😱 #collegebaseball
Thursday, April 30