Howard’s men’s golf team attended “The Goat” tournament in Annapolis, Maryland, through Sunday and finished 14th in the team standings.
The tournament, hosted by the United States Naval Academy, was a two-day, 54-hole event at the Naval Academy Golf Club (par-71, 7,025 yards).
The Bison were disappointed in their team standing at the end of the tournament but had a tenacious spirit that refused to let their performance early on discourage them. Their perseverance was tested, and they managed to push through to finish the tournament strong.
“Overall, I’m proud of the way they fought,” said fifth-year athlete Marcus Smith Jr. “We didn’t do as well as we wanted to, but I’m just proud of my guys for going out there and grinding it out.”
The University of the Pacific took the tournament win, recording one under par (851) in three days, led by Travis Robbie. Loyola University Maryland finished runner-up (860, +8).
The Bison, however, shot 52 over par (904), with their best day being day one (299, +15).
Sophomore Mitchell Grey, a finance major from Mississauga, Canada, led the team with 9-over par (222) in 54 holes, tying for 33rd place. Grey closed out the tournament with an even-par (71) performance.
Grey wasn’t fond of how he began the tournament but was in better spirits about his performance as the event concluded.
“It was definitely a struggle to start, but I am proud of how I played,” he told The Hilltop.
Smith Jr. was the Bison’s second-best performer throughout the tournament, shooting 15 over par (228), tying for 49th overall.
“Unfortunately, I just didn’t play as well as I would’ve liked to, but, you know, I feel like it’s just a stepping stone of moving in the right direction,” he said.
Smith Jr. continued, “I just tried to keep going because I knew every stroke mattered.”
In the early stages of this season, the Howard men’s golf team is looking to find its footing as they recapture some of the magic stirred last year.
The Bison had a year of accomplishments last season, highlighted by the debut of their eight-part docu-series: “Why Not Us: Howard Golf.”
During this, ESPN shadowed the student-athletes, showcasing the everyday life of Black collegiate golfers as they attended the university.
As they traveled from city to city, playing on different courses against multiple opponents, the team played throughout different tournaments. The team secured its first Northeast Conference (NEC) title after placing second the year prior. The team also attended its first NCAA Regionals and placed 13th to close out their season.
“That was the goal that coach has had in his mind since the program started and he first got here,” Grey said. “So it was pretty cool to be here at the time and be a part of that win.”
On Oct. 6-8, the Bison will get another chance to build to and surpass the heights seen last season as they travel to New York for the Hamptons Intercollegiate, hosted by Loyola University Maryland.
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