WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – IUP wrapped up opening round action at the 2024 NCAA DII Men's Golf National Championships on Tuesday at Orange County National, finishing the round in 17th place in the team standings.
 
The Hawks were part of the opening pairing of the tournament, playing with powerhouses West Florida and Grand Valley State, both tied for third after Tuesday's round. The Crimson Hawks are second among schools from the Atlantic/East region with a score of 295.
 
Among the region, only Charleston (W.Va.) (289) is higher than the Hawks in the team standings in a tie for 14th. Tuesday marked the first of three total stroke play rounds, before the field is cut to eight schools for head-to-head medal/match play.
 
A long, rolling course, Oklahoma Christian and Colorado Christian pace an outstanding field with a mark of 277 (-7). Jon Vinge had the honor of opening the 2024 NCAA DII Championships with the first tee shot of the tournament, parlaying his first taste of nationals action into an impressive even-par 71.
 
On the individual leaderboard, Cal State Monterey Bay's Tony Tao rattled off an eight-under 63. He played the front nine at a -6 clip and posted a pair of eagles in his round, holding a two-shot edge individually.
 
Tied for 29th overall, Vinge played the back nine at two under with birdies on his final two holes. Shaun Fedor, competing in his final NCAA National Championship event, posted a two-over 73 on Tuesday. Fedor birdied two of the final three holes on Tuesday, landing in a tie for 62nd overall.
 
Alex Swinnerton recorded a 75 that saw ups and downs. Swinnerton carded two birdies early on holes two and four, later stringing together five consecutive pars on the back nine. Guillermo Salazar logged a 76 for the Hawks, tied for 89th overall.
 
Cameron Gerue closed out the IUP lineup with a 79. The par-four 12th hole played as the most difficult on the course with an average score of 4.66, while the opening hole had the most bogeys (44) of any on the course.
 
Team Leaderboard
T1. Oklahoma Christian – 277
T1. Colorado Christian – 277
T3. West Florida – 279
T3. Grand Valley State – 279
5. Cal State Monterey Bay – 280
 
Individual Leaderboard
1. Tony Tao (Cal State Monterey Bay) – 63 (-8)
2. Manuel Cue (Grand Valley State) – 65 (-6)
T3. Xavier Bighaus (Colorado Christian) – 66 (-5)
T3. TJ Thompson (West Florida) – 66 (-5)
T5. Wyatt Provence (West Texas A&M) – 67 (-4)
T5. Blas Ayesa (Oklahoma Christian) – 67 (-4)
 
IUP Scores (Orange County National – Par 71)
T29. Jon Vinge – 71 (E)
T62. Shaun Fedor – 73 (+2)
T81. Alex Swinnerton – 75 (+4)
T89. Guillermo Salazar – 76 (+5)
T102. Cameron Gerue – 79 (+8)
 
Up Next
IUP tees off round two tomorrow (May 22) at 11:10 a.m.
 
Players will tee off in 11-minute intervals as IUP continues play with West Florida and Grand Valley State.
 
Follow
For coverage of the IUP men's golf program, follow the Crimson Hawks on X (Twitter) (@IUPgolf), Instagram (@IUPmgolf) and online at IUPathletics.com.
 

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