Kent State University
MAC Championship
Two Flashes Earn Top 10 Finishes, Men’s Golf Takes 3rd at MAC Championship
4/28/2024 4:00:00 PM | Men's Golf
WESTFIELD, Ind. – Bryce Reed finished second overall and Jordan Gilkison placed seventh as the Kent State men's golf team finished third at the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championship at The Club at Chatham Hills.
The Golden Flashes finished the three-day event at 1-under par after a 3-under Sunday, finishing tied with Northern Illinois in third place. Ball State claimed the conference title at 12-under par, while Miami place second at 7-under. Toledo rounded out the top five at 9-over par.
The Flashes had their strongest day of the event on Sunday, shooting 285 (-3) for the day. Reed catapulted up the leaderboards following a 6-under par 66 on Sunday, which tied for the low round of the tournament. Following a bogey on the sixth hole, Reed birdied six of the next eight holes to earn a second-place finish. Gilkison finished seventh after a 2-over par final round. The junior played the front nine one-under, including an eagle on the Par 5 seventh hole.
Edvin Backstrom tied for 17th individually at 4-over par after a 3-over Sunday. Backstrom carded three birdies and an eagle in the final round. Chris Vandette put together his best round of the weekend, finishing tied for 22nd after a 2-under par 70 in Round 3 that included six birdies. Cade Breitsenstine tied for 38th place after a 7-over par 79.
Round 2 Recap
The Kent State men's golf team entered the clubhouse in fifth place after the second round 2024 Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Championship. A pair of Golden Flashes find themselves in the top-10 and will look to move up the leaderboard in Sunday's final round to vie for the individual title.
The Flashes shot 2-over par as a squad after scoring even par to start the tournament on Friday. Ball State leads the back at 13-under after an 8-under day at The Club at Chatham Hills. Miami sits in second place, three strokes behind the leaders, and holds a five-shot lead over third-place Toledo. NIU ends their day at one-under and sit three shots ahead of the Flashes. Kent State sits 13 strokes clear of the next two teams.
Jordan Gilkison put together another strong round on Saturday and finds himself tied for fourth place. After carding a 69 yesterday, the junior birdied four holes en route to a 2-under par 70. Bryce Reed is tied for ninth at -2 after shooting a 1-under par 71, highlighted by a -3 front nine. Rounding out the Flashes in the top-20 is Edvin Backstrom, who shot a 71 to bring his weekend score to one-over par. Chris Vandette shot a 6-over par 78, highlighted by an eagle on the par 5 fifth hole, to enter into a tie for 34th place while Cade Breitenstine shot an 8-over par 80 and finds himself in a tie for 36th at +10 on the tournament.
Sunday's final round gets underway with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Eastern. The forecast in Westfield calls blue skies and temperatures getting up into the 80s with a slight breeze from the southwest. Live scoring updates throughout the final round can be found here.
Round 1 Recap
A strong opening round at the 2024 Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Championship has the Kent State men's golf team in a tie for third place after shooting even par as a team on Friday.
On an overcast and breezy day at The Club at Chatham Hills, the Golden Flashes tied with Northern Illinois and sit five strokes behind Ball State and Miami. Toledo is in fifth place after a two-over par round. The Flashes put down 27 birdies down on the scorecard, seven more than any other team in the field.
All five Flashes in the lineup will start Round 2 in the top 25. Jordan Gilkison was one of just five golfers to shoot in the 60s on Friday, carding a 69 (-3) to sit in a tie for third place, two strokes back from the leader. Gilkison totaled eight birdies on the day, the most of any golfer in the opening round. Bryce Reed finished with a one-under par 71 that puts him in a tie for 11th place. The junior leads the tournament in scoring average on Par 3s (2.50).
Both Edvin Backstrom and Cade Breitenstine are tied for 22nd after finishing the round 2-over par. Sitting just one shot behind the pair is Chris Vandette, who tied for 25th after carding a 3-over par 75.
Tournament Information
Location: Westfield, Ind.
Course: The Club at Chatham Hills
Dates: April 26-28
Par: 72 – 7228 Yards
Team Results
1. Ball State -10
2. Miami - 6
t-3. Northern Illinois -1
t-3. Kent State -1
5. Toledo +9
6. Eastern Michigan +18
7. Bowling Green +36
8. Central Michigan +37
9. Ohio +54
The Lineup
2. Bryce Reed -8 (71, 71, 66)
7. Jordan Gilkison -3 (69, 70, 74)
t-17. Edvin Backstrom +4 (74, 71, 75)
t-22. Chris Vandette +7 (75, 78, 70)
t-38. Cade Breitenstine +17 (74, 80, 79)
Players Mentioned
