SPOKANE, Wash. – Matthew Durkin birdied the final hole to earn medalist honors at the season-opening Whitworth Fall Invitational on Sunday and Monday at Indian Canyon Golf Course.
Whitworth led the team competition after the first day but slipped back to second place in the final standings behind Willamette.
Durkin shot 67-69 – 136 (-6) to edge Willamette's Jack Carr (69-68 – 137) by one stroke. Durkin birdied the par-5 18th hole on Monday by sinking a five-foot putt.
The Pirates led the Bearcats by two strokes (277 to 279) after posting a team score of -7 on Sunday. Whitworth was unable to sustain momentum in the first college tournament for many of the players.
The final team scores were: Willamette 564, Whitworth 578, Willamette (B) 579, Linfield 585, Pacific Lutheran 594, Whitworth (B) 600, Linfield (B) 616.
Peyton Simonds (67-78 – 145) finished ninth and Max Hosfeld (72-75 – 147) tied for 12th. Each was playing in his first tournament as a Pirate.
Two other first-year players led Whitworth's B team. Tanner Smith (72-75 – 147) and Rhett Nordberg (72-75 – 147) tied with Hosfeld for 12th place.
