NCAA Golf Fall Season comes to a Close- Indiana Golf Results as well
The Oregon women’s golf team and the Florida men’s teams won their respective titles at the 2025 East Lake Cup on Wednesday.
Held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, this prestigious college golf event mirrors the final three days of the NCAA Championship format, with top teams squaring off in a match-play format.
The event started with four men’s teams and four women’s teams. The Oregon women knocked out Florida State, 3-2, and then Northwestern, 4-1. Northwestern is the reigning NCAA champion in Division I women’s golf. It’s Oregon’s first East Lake title.
The Florida Gators, meanwhile, first eliminated Ole Miss 3-2, and then knocked off Virginia by the same score. It’s the Gators’ first East Lake Cup title in their second appearance in the event.
In the women’s consolation match, USC defeated Florida State, 4-1, while on the men’s side, Ole Miss beat Arizona State 3 ½ to 1 ½.Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
The weather was chilly in Atlanta, and the golfers wore pants, jackets and beanies to battle the temperatures.
“This weather is so brutal and we needed to stay patient and take each shot at a time,” said Oregon sophomore Tong An. “With my coach on my side, he helped me to stay calm and focus on each and every shot.”
Kiara Romero, ranked No. 1 in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, secured the clinching point on the 16th hole with a birdie to take out Wildcats sophomore Megan Meng.
“It is going to be up and down throughout the whole round in match play,” said Romero. “Staying patient out there and taking advantage of the opportunities that I had at the right time really helped me today.”
For Florida, Parker Bell made a 10-foot birdie putt to beat WAGR No. 1 Ben James on the 18th hole. Bell actually led by four with five to play, but James birdied four of the final five holes. That forced Bell to birdie the 17th and 18th holes.
“I wasn’t expecting it to come down to the final hole like it did,” Bell said, “but it’s Ben James. He’s going to be a PGA Tour player. I had to fight to hold on, and that’s what I did.”
Indiana Golf
Indiana Places 15th at the Ka’anapali Classic
Chill Jr. Records First Collegiate Ace
KA’ANAPALI, Maui – The Indiana men’s golf team placed 15th at the Ka’anapali Classic with a score of 843 (280-274-289; -9). The three-day, 54-hole event was played at the Royal Ka‘anapali Golf Course.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Ka’anapali Classic • Ka’anapali, Maui
Royal Ka‘anapali Golf Course
Par 71 • 6,700 yards
Live Scoring via Scoreboard
Team Standings: 15th/19 – 843 (280-274-289; -9)
Top Indiana Player: Clay Merchent – 206 (68-67-71; -7)
CHIP-INS
• Redshirt senior Clay Merchent played his 13th career tournament under par to pace the Indiana lineup at 206 (68-67-71; -7). He collected a team-best 15 birdie conversions, which featured eight in the second round. He earned a 29th-place finish.
• Sophomore Bradley Chill Jr. fired a 212 (70-71-71; -1) with 10 birdies and a pair of eagles. The highlight of his round came in the third round when he needed just one swing for his first collegiate hole-in-one on the 202-yard, Par-3 15th hole.
• Junior Alec Cesare shot a 215 (72-68-75; +2) with 11 total birdies and an eagle on No. 9 in the second round.
• Junior Cole Starnes turned in a scorecard of 216 (71-73-72; +3) with 11 birdies and an eagle on No. 9 in the third round.
• Junior Nick Piesen carded a 217 (71-68-78; +4) with seven birdies and an eagle on No. 1 in the second round.
• Freshman Caleb Schnarr, playing as an individual, pieced together his lowest collegiate tournament tally of 224 (75-75-74; +11). He totaled nine birdies.
