Newton, Kansas -- In a tourney where they built a big lead after the first round -- in the words of coach John Mulholland "putting the event out of reach for the other teams" -- Indian Hills had the top three golfers and, at the end, a 29-stroke victory over runnerup Iowa Western.
Harry Doig and Harry Fearn tied for first place in the Tabor College Fall Invite, each playing the par-72 Sand Creek Station course in two-under par 142. Doig's first-round four-under par 68 was the only score in the 60s in the 36-hole event. Fearn shot 70 and 72 and he and Doig outdistanced teammate Cyril Henault by five shots. Henault was third with his 147 that included an even-par 72 on Monday.
"In the wind, we excelled on day one," Mulholland explained. "Getting off to a hot start is something we talk about a lot and it's what we have done really well so far this fall. The scores -- 68 by Doig, 70 by Fearn and 72 by Henault -- were fun to watch. It's hard to shoot under par at any point, but it's the courses and schedule we are playing that have helped us perform to the standard we are at."
Indian Hills had a team score of 284 in the opening round to open a 22-shot margin over Iowa Western. IHCC then followed with a 301 to extend the lead by another seven strokes. "Round two was windier and much more unpredictable when judging distances," Mulholland said. "That being said we did a good job of controlling that. Harry Fearn's 72 was the best in the field for the round and with the way both Harrys hit the ball they were going to be hard to beat. They gave themselves a lot of opportunities for birdies and didn't make many mistakes in the windy conditions."
Jesse MacNaughtan tied for 9th for the Warriors with a 154 that included a 74 the first day. Blade Gadd was also in the top 20 at 17th after a 159.
Having won the team title in the last three tourneys they've played, Indian Hills will take part in the Little Rock Invitational Oct. 21-22. Mulholland said, "Our next event will be a showcase for the top four finishers this week -- we are only allowed to bring four individuals to the NCAA DI event in Arkansas. It'll be great for the two freshmen (Fearn and Henault) to get in front of some big-time DI programs on another hard golf course (Chenal Country Club)."
Tabor College Fall Invite
Team scores:
- Indian Hills 284-301=585; 2. Iowa Western 306-308=614; 3. Bethany College 312-316=628; 4. Lawrence Tech 325-320=645; 5. Bethany College B 328-328=656; 6. Hesston College 320-337=657; 7. Sterling College 324-340=664; 8. Kansas City Kansas CC 337-328=665; 9. Tabor College 335-342=677
Indian Hills scores:
T1. Harry Doig 68-74=142; T1. Harry Fearn 70-72=142; 3. Cyril Henault 72-75=147; T9. Jesse MacNaughtan 74-80=154; 17. Blade Gadd 78-81=159; T24. Thomas Burou 84-80=164; T28. Ethan Keane 83-82=165