MAC Men's Golfer of the Week
Jordan Gilkison – Kent State – Senior
Hometown: Springboro, Ohio (Springboro HS)
Tournament: Buckeye Classic
Team Finish: 4th
Individual Finish: 1st
Score: 70-67-68 = 205 (-11)
Note: Jordan Gilkison earned his second win of the season at the Buckeye Classic with a tournament total of 11-under-par. He posted rounds of 70, 67, and 68 to secure the title, and now has 12 rounds in the 60s this season.
Men’s Golfer of the Week Nominees
Rory McDonald-O’Brien – Eastern Michigan – Junior
Hometown: Shrewsbury, England (Shrewsbury School)
Tournament: The Stitch Intercollegiate
Team Finish: 6th
Individual Finish: T-8th
Score: 72-71-71 = 214 (+1)
Note: Rory McDonald-O’Brien tied for eighth at The Stitch Intercollegiate with a 1-over-par 214. He shot par in the final two rounds to secure his first top 10 finish of the season and the fourth of his collegiate career. His score tied his season-low 54-hole mark, previously achieved at the Bell Bank “Pay It Forward” Intercollegiate.
Morgan Blythe – Miami University – Sophomore
Hometown: Newcastle, England (Queen Elizabeth HS)
Tournament: Buckeye Classic
Team Finish: 3rd
Individual Finish: 3rd
Score: 71-67-71 = 209 (-7)
Note: Morgan Blythe led the RedHawks to a third-place finish at the Buckeye Classic. He recorded a bogey-free second round and finished the tournament in sole possession of third place at 7-under-par, highlighted by 12 total birdies. He was just two strokes behind second place.
Ben Sluzas – NIU – Senior
Hometown: Lockport, Ill. (Lockport HS)
Tournament: Hawkeye Invitational
Team Finish: 7th
Individual Finish: 3rd
Score: 69-71-70 = 210 (-6)
Note: Ben Sluzas had his best finish of the season on Monday, taking third place at the Hawkeye Invitational hosted by Iowa. Sluzas went under par in all three rounds for the second time in his career. He opened with a three-under 69, followed by a 71, and closed with a two-under 70—second-lowest in the final round—moving up five spots on the leaderboard. It marked his second third-place finish at the Hawkeye.
CJ van Wyk – Toledo – Senior
Hometown: George, South Africa (The Glenwood School)
Tournament: Lewis Chitengwa Memorial
Team Finish: 10th
Individual Finish: T-8th
Score: 70-69-74 = 213 (E)
Note: Senior CJ van Wyk registered a season-best eighth-place finish at Virginia’s Lewis Chitengwa Memorial. It was his second straight year posting a Top 10 finish at the event, which featured six of the Top 100 ranked golfers nationally. Van Wyk completed the 54-hole event at even-par 213 to lead the Rockets.
