Freshmen spur Central to men’s golf lead
PELLA—Taking advantage of favorable conditions on its home course, the Central College men’s golf team bolted to a 14-shot lead at the nine-team Ryerson Fall Classic Friday.
Bolstered by its freshmen, the Dutch shot 299 in the opening round of the 36-hole tourney. Wheaton College (Ill.) followed at 313 with Wartburg College at 328. Central’s second unit, the White team, is fourth at 332 with Buena Vista University at 335.
Rookie Aidan Volmer (Anthem, Ariz., Boulder Creek HS) shot 74 and stands second in the individual standings, trailing Wheaton’s Jabe Gonder, who carded an even-par 72 at the rugged Bos Landen Golf Club. Freshmen Colin Chromy (Naperville, Ill., Neuqua Valley HS) and Ethan Loafman (Rogers, Ark.) and senior Kobe Rhodes (Glenwood) are all tied for third place at 75, and Dillon Peters (senior, Urbandale, West Des Moines Valley HS) shot 81 and shares 12th place in the 50-player field. The White squad was led by Kyle Gabos (freshman, Plymouth, Minn., Maple Grove HS) who shot 77 and is tied for sixth place.
“We were really consistent,” coach Mel Blasi said. “We got really great play from our freshmen. I was happy to see them, right off the bat, play well. And Kobe (Rhodes) really hung in there today and played well down the stretch to get us that fourth score, which we really needed.”
The Dutch took charge early.
“We got off to a good start, especially that first five or six holes,” Blasi said. “At Bos (Landen), if you play from behind, you can really struggle to get back in the game. Getting off to a good start is a really important thing, so you can relax and play your game.”
Conditions were ripe for scoring.
“I don’t think we could have asked for better weather and the course is in excellent shape,” Blasi said. “It’s just a good time of year to play Bos. It’s a great golf course.”
It’s the first time the Ryerson tourney has been played in recent years. The tournament was named for Norman “Doc” Ryerson, who helped establish Central’s powerful men’s golf tradition as head coach from 1975-86, with nine Iowa Conference championships and 10 NCAA Division III tournament berths.
“I’d like to grow the field but I’m really happy with the teams that are here,” Blasi said. “I’d like to grow it into something nice to honor Coach Ryerson. It’s good to have his name on there. One of those things I’ve always felt strongly about is getting to play a tournament on the course you play every day.”
Conditions could take a nasty turn Saturday, with rain in the forecast. Play is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start.
