Kieron van Wyk shot a 7-under-par 65 Sunday, tying for the best round of the day and his third round in the 60s, to walk away with the medalist honors and lead the College of Charleston to the team title at the White Sands Bahamas Men’s NCAA Golf Invitational at the Ocean Club Golf Course at Paradise Island, Bahamas. Twelve teams competed in the 54-hole event, with Charleston finishing at 50 under par, 10 strokes in front of Houston.
Van Wyk, a senior from South Africa who is ranked No. 22 among college golfers, birdied his first two holes on the day and was never threatened, finishing 21 under par, a tournament record, five strokes ahead of Hudson Weibel of Houston, who had a 3-under 69 on Sunday after carding a 65 on Saturday. As medalist, van Wyk earns a spot in the 2025 Puerto Rico Open, which will be in early March.
“I played really well for three days.”
“I didn’t hit it great, but my short game helped me out,” said van Wyk, who picked up his fifth college win and first of this fall season. “This is by far my best-scoring tournament. And I’m looking forward to playing in my first PGA TOUR event.” Van Wyk made 23 birdies and a double bogey over his 54 holes.
He was supported by teammates Jack Tickle of Bristol, Tenn., who had a 65, Loran Appel of the Netherlands, who shot 67, and Nevil Ruiter of the Netherlands, who counted with a 4-under 68. Charleston had the three lowest rounds on the day, from from van Wyk, Trickle and Appel.
“It was their third time around this course, and they kind of figured it out,” said Charleston head coach Mitch Krywulcyz modestly. “Jack (Trickle) caught fire for us. And when Kieron has his A game and gets around the lead, he’s going to win. He just has that ability.”
Houston’s Weibel, a junior from Dallas, and Wolfgang Glawe, a senior from Germany who was the first-round leader at -9, were both in the top five individually. Glawe finished tied for fourth at -12, with Ruiter. Tim Chan of Eastern Michigan finished third individually, at -14.
Ball State finished in third place as a team, at -26, followed by Maryland (-22), West Virginia (-17), Northern Illinois (-14) and Eastern Michigan (-8). Others in order were Rutgers (-5), George Mason (-3), Emory (E), Ohio (+8) and UC San Diego (+11).
Thirty players finished with sub-par scores for their 54 holes over the 6,943-yard, par 72 Ocean Club Golf Course designed by past major champion Tom Weiskopf. Houston, Mississippi, Duke and Santa Clara are past winners of the men’s competitions.
For more coverage of the 2024 White Sands Bahamas NCAA Invitational, follow @WhiteSandsBah on social media and use the following hashtags: #WhiteSandsBahamas and #WhiteSandsNCAA.
Results following the final round of the White Sands Bahamas NCAA Men’s Invitational, played at the 6,943-yard, par 72 Ocean Club Golf Course at Paradise Island, Bahamas:
TEAM SCORING
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- Charleston, -50
- Houston, -40
- Ball State, -26
- Maryland, -22
- West Virginia, -17
- Northern Illinois, -14
- Eastern Michigan, -8
8. Rutgers, -5
- George Mason, -3
10. Emory, E
11 Ohio, +8
12. UC San Diego, +11
ABOUT THE BAHAMAS
With over 700 islands and cays and 16 unique island destinations, The Bahamas lies just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, offering an easy fly-away escape that transports travelers away from their everyday. The Islands of The Bahamas have world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the earth’s most spectacular water and beaches waiting for families, couples and adventurers. Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram to see why “It’s Better in The Bahamas.”
ABOUT OCEAN CLUB GOLF COURSE
Atlantis Paradise Island’s Ocean Club Golf Course offers a challenging and beautiful course for golfers desiring championship play. Masterfully conceived, the Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole, par 72 championship course stretches over 7,100 yards on Atlantis’ peninsula. The course has hosted iconic sporting events such as the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI), the Michael Douglas & Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament and the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. For more information about Atlantis Paradise Island resort and the Ocean Club please visit www.atlantisbahamas.com.
SEEN IN MAIN IMAGE: Kieron van Wyk of Charleston – image courtesy of Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
MEDIA CONTACT: Anita Johnson-Patty, BAHAMAS MINISTRY OF TOURISM, INVESTMENTS & AVIATION, [email protected]
