Leach claims first collegiate win at Crooked Stick Invitational

Results (PDF)

CARMEL, Indiana – Marquette University's Tyler Leach earned his first collegiate victory on Tuesday in the Crooked Stick Invitational at the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana.

The sophomore posted a 6-under-par 210 (68-68-74) for the tournament to hold off Georgia's Calum Masters by a single stroke. In addition to his first career win, Leach claimed the fourth top-10 finish of his career and finished under par for the third time. His previous 54-hole low score was a 211 (2-under), recorded at the Windon Memorial Classic at Conway Farms on Sept. 16-17.

The Golden Eagles (291-286-302—879) tied for third with Northwestern (293-293-293—879) after ceding nine strokes to the Wildcats on Tuesday afternoon. NU posted the final round's best score at 5-over par. Georgia (283-289-295—867) claimed the team crown ahead of runner-up Vanderbilt (283-291-294—868).

Reigning BIG EAST Golfer of the Week Hunter Eichhorn (69-71-75—215) entered the day in a tie for third and held on for his fourth top-10 finish of the season despite a 2-over 74 on Tuesday. The junior posted his lone birdies on holes 15 and 16 to finish at 1-under for the tournament and end his day in sixth place.

Freshman Aidan Lafferty (75-74-76—225) was MU's third finisher and tied for 32nd overall, while classmate Bhoom Sima-Aree (76-76-75—227) played as an individual and tied for 40th.

Leach, who is the 15th Golden Eagle to have claimed medalist honors, notched a tournament-best 3-under on the event's par threes and was 6-under on par fives.

As a team, MU recorded a tournament-leading 50 birdies to tie with Vanderbilt, but its 147 pars were the fourth-lowest mark in the field.

On Monday, Leach carded consecutive rounds of 68, one stroke shy of a collegiate low, and amassed a total of 13 birdies through 36 holes. The Spring Valley, Wisconsin native posted eight birdies in the second after beginning the round with a triple bogey on No. 7, his third hole. He ended his day with three-straight birdies on holes 2-4.

In addition to Leach, teammates Hunter Eichhorn (4) and Matthew Bachmann also own collegiate wins in their careers.

The Golden Eagles have the upcoming weekend off before heading to Hawaii for the Hoakalei Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 28-30.

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