PELLA— Capturing his first career title,
Blake Wynn (junior, Milan, Ill., Sherrard HS) led a Central College sweep of the top three spots as the Dutch cruised to first place in their own nine-team men's golf tournament Tuesday.
Wynn carded a 3-over-par 75 at the par-72 Bos Landen Golf Club, edging
Crew Klingner (freshman, Williamsburg) and
Carter Yurgae (freshman, West Des Moines, Dowling Catholic HS), who each shot 76.
"Blake played really solid all day," coach
Mel Blasi said. "He had one little stretch where he went bogey, double bogey, bogey so it was nice to see him birdie No. 17 to come back and get the win.
Klingner won a playoff for second place after firing a 2-under-par 34 on the back nine.
"He finished birdie-birdie-birdie so that was quite a little run there for him," Blasi ssaid.
Blasi also liked Yurgae's showing.
"He made 14 pars," he said. "Our freshmen are playing well."
Kayden Pendergrass (senior, Mount Vernon) shot 80 for the Dutch and
Maison Brandt (freshman, Byron, Ill.), battling illness, had 83
Central fired a 307, with North Central Community College (Mo.) a distant second at 323, while Clarke University shot 324. American Rivers foe Simpson College was fifth at 333 and Loras College was seventh at 339.
Cooper Langfelt (senior, Tabor, Fremont-Mills HS) shot 79 to claim sixth place for Central's second unit, the White squad, which placed eighth at 341.
Bautista Valeiras (freshman, Naples, Fla., Gulf Coast HS) was next with 84.
"It was a good day," Blasi said. "Bos is always a hard test for the guys."
Central travels back to Illinois for the second weekend in a row, competing in the Knox Invitational. The 36-hole tourney starts at noon Saturday at the Soangetaha Country Club in Galesburg, Illinois. Sunday's round begins at 9 a.m. Central last played in the tourney in 2022.
"Our young guys need to learn how to win, so today was good," Blasi said. "And I think (Knox) is a tournament that we could do well in."
