Grand Canyon takes team title at home invite while playoff decides medalist
Tommaso Zorzetto (Grand Canyon Athletics Photo)
Grand Canyon University left no doubt at the GCU Invitational, delivering a commanding performance with rounds of 280-281-279 to secure the team title with the only under-par score of the tournament. Entering the final round with a six-shot lead, the Lopes doubled their advantage, finishing at 12-under, a full 13 strokes ahead of runner-up New Mexico State.
The team’s depth was on full display, as four of the five starters carded rounds of even-par or better on Wednesday. Graduate student Tommaso Zorzetto led the charge, who finished 9-under with rounds of 69-66-66 and lit up the back nine, delivering a dramatic finish on the final hole to force a playoff.
Zorzetto, the defending champion, fired a 5-under 66, fueled by six birdies—four of which came on the back nine. Trailing by a stroke on the par-5 18th, he drained a 10-foot birdie putt to force extra holes against CSU Fullerton redshirt senior Tegan Andrews.
The playoff became an endurance test, with neither golfer giving an inch. Shot after shot, Zorzetto and Andrews matched each other for six holes before both were declared co-individual champions.
GCU’s depth was undeniable, placing five golfers inside the top 10.
Junior Josh McCabe, playing as an individual, was one of just two players to shoot under par in every round. He finished T-4 at 4-under after a steady final-round 70 (-1).
Freshman Matthew Diehl, coming off a win at the Desert Mountain Outlaw, secured his second top-10 finish in five days, finishing T-6 at 3-under. He recorded 14 birdies, just one shy of Zorzetto's tournament-leading 15.
Fellow freshman Nixon Lauritzen also registered a T-6 finish at 3-under, competing as an individual.
Senior Kiko Coelho rounded out the top-10 finishers with a T-10 finish at even-par.
New Mexico State was the only team to place two players in the top 10. Sixth-year standout Aidan Thomas led the way, who secured a T-4 finish at 4-under. He was followed by redshirt senior Alexandre Baudin, who claimed a T-10 spot with an even-par 213 after 54 holes of competition.
ABOUT THE
Grand Canyon Invitational
54 hole men's college tournament hosted by Grand
Canyon University. Team (best four scores out of five
players each round) and individual competitions.
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