Benedictine University Mesa turned in a steady two-round performance at the
ACU Spring Invite, showcasing depth and resilience across its lineup as multiple players contributed to the team score in both rounds of competition.
Round One
The Redhawks opened the tournament with a strong showing, led by
Eric Klutke, who delivered an impressive round of
four-under par (-4) to pace the team and set an early competitive tone. Klutke's round provided a major boost to Benedictine's scoring total and stood out as one of the lowest rounds of the day.
Supporting efforts came from
Ethan Lovatt, who posted a solid
one-over par (+1), while
Blake Contente and
Joe Kelly each carded
two-over par (+2) rounds to round out the four scoring positions. Their consistency helped Benedictine maintain balance across the lineup.
Competing as the fifth golfer,
Chris Johnson recorded a
six-over par (+6) round. While his score was not included in the team total, his effort added valuable experience early in the tournament.
Round Two
Benedictine continued to compete with consistency in round two, again receiving strong contributions across the lineup. Klutke remained a steady presence, recording a
two-over par (+2) round to lead the Redhawks' scoring effort for the day.
Both
Blake Contente and
Joe Kelly followed closely behind, each posting
three-over par (+3) rounds to remain reliable contributors. Lovatt battled through a tougher second round, finishing at
11-over par (+11), but his experience continued to play a key role in the team dynamic.
Tournament Takeaway
Coach Konya states: "We're disappointed, make no mistake about it. We had a really nice start, and put ourselves in a nice position after the first day of competition. We were in 2
nd place, just a few strokes out of the lead. Eric lead the effort with his 4 under par 68, and lead the tournament as an individual. We just didn't finish it the way we wanted to. The good thing is there were some key things that we'll take away from this, and we'll finish the deal next time. The guys are playing solid golf as we head into the Conference Championship. The objective has been to peak for that, and to be playing our best golf at that time, and I feel good about how that's playing out. We've grown a lot over the past few months, and the guys have devoted a lot to this program. We're looking very forward to putting it all together in California"
