Demon Deacons Set to Host Wake Forest Invitational at Pinehurst No. 2

PINEHURST, N.C. – After capturing the team title and individual title at the Battle of Briar's Creek the last time out, the Wake Forest men's golf team looks to continue the momentum into the second home event of the season Monday at historic Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C.

The reigning ACC Champions and NCAA Regional Champions claimed a nine-stroke team win in their last outing and were paced by the second individual title of senior Mark Power's career as he took home medalist honors at the Battle of Briar's Creek by four strokes.

Power led nearly the entire way. He was 2-under or better in every round, the only player to do so in the field. Additionally, he saved his best round for the final round, posting a bogey-free 68 (-4) to claim the title. During his path to his second collegiate title, Power only had five bogies over the three rounds.

Leading the lineup again will be junior Michael Brennan. The Leesburg, Va. native captured his fifth career individual victory in the Southwestern Invitational in January over a loaded field.

With a pair of wins in each of his two seasons in Winston-Salem, Brennan now has joined rare company with five or more wins in program history.

He is now alongside Jay Haas, Lanny Wadkins and Cameron Young to have five titles to their name at Wake Forest. Only three Demon Deacons have more than five titles in their collegiate career: Bill Haas (10), Gary Hallberg (9) and Curtis Strange (8).

Wake Forest Golfers to Win Five Collegiate Events

Michael Brennan
Jay Haas
Lanny Wadkins
Cameron Young

Brennan Michael joined quite the company to win the Southwestern title in its 40-plus year history as it has been the start to illustrious pro careers for many.

Brennan (2022)
Sahith Theegala (2017, 2020)
Patrick Cantlay (2011)
Paul Casey (1998)
Tiger Woods (1996)
Corey Pavin (1978, 1981)

Alongside Brennan and Power, sophomores Scotty Kennon and Marshall Meisel are back in the lineup for the third time this spring. Both helped the team run away with the team title while also having great rounds early this spring at the Southwestern Invitational.

Meisel was one of three players to also take part in the exclusive Genesis Collegiate Showcase in mid-February. He helped his group win the team championship at the Genesis Collegiate Showcase, marking the first time Wake Forest has claimed the team title at the event.

Tomorrow's first round is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. (ET) shotgun start as the Wake Forest team tees off between holes No. 1 and No. 4. The Demon Deacons top team will be paired with Virginia and Clemson on the opening day of play. The Demon Deacon second team will be paired with ETSU and UNC-Greensboro, starting between holes No. 13 to No. 16.

THE DEACS' LINEUP

Michael Brennan

Brennan, who has now risen to No. 18 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, made his PGA Tour debut at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in February. That Monday, he earned a spot in the field as the only amateur, setting a Collegiate Showcase record, shooting a five-under-par 66.

He will look to claim potentially his sixth individual title, trying to join elite company in Wake Forest history. He was named a watch list member for the Fred Haskins Award to start the season.

In the Southwestern Invitational, Brennan claimed his fifth career individual title, shooting the lowest score in the field in both the second and third round to win by a stroke over the loaded field. He followed that up by finishing in the top five at the Battle of Briar's Creek.

Mark Power

Power is coming off his second collegiate title of his career, claiming the Battle at Briar's Creek by four strokes over the field. He led nearly the entire way while also leading the Deacs to the team title, the first of the season for the Deacs.

Last season, he helped the team to a title at the 2021 Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational, tying for 35th on the individual leaderboard. He was helped by a 66 (-4) in the second round of the tournament. He was one of three Demon Deacons to compete at the Genesis Collegiate Showcase. In the ACC semifinal, Power provided the second point in the win over North Carolina.

Scotty Kennon

Kennon had an impressive showing at the 2021 Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational. He was par or below in all three rounds of the tournament, finishing the week tied for ninth and nine-under par, the first career top-10 finish. Kennon picked up his second top-10 finish of the season at the Valspar Collegiate with the help of his best round of his young career. He finished eighth, firing a final round 64 (-7), moving up 20 spots on the final day of competition.

The sophomore was one of one of three Demon Deacons to be sub par for all three rounds at the 2022 NCAA Regionals, recording a 68-69-69 to place tied for ninth on the individual leaderboard at 4-under-par. He is coming off a tied for 30th finish at the Southwestern, ending the tournament as the second-highest Demon Deacon.

He is coming off one of his best tournaments of the season, finishing tied for 12th after being 5-under-par over the last two rounds.

Marshall Meisel

As a freshman, Meisel competed in five events including a pair of events in the lineup, playing in the lineup at the Colonial Collegiate and the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate. He finished tied for 16th in Georgia while also placing in the top 25 four times during the season with his highest finish coming at the Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational where he placed 14th at 5-under-par.

This season Meisel has been in the lineup in five of six events with a 71.73 stroke average. In the Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational, he finished seventh at 4-under-par. He is coming off the Southwestern Invitational where he finished 30th with the help of a 3-under-par final round which tied for the lowest in the field in the final round with Michael Brennan.

Boyd Owens

Owens plays in the lineup for the Demon Deacons for the fourth time in his freshman year. He currently has the second-lowest stroke average on the team, 71.00. As a junior, he ranked as high as No. 9 nationally in the AJGA standings. In March, he qualified for the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented on the Korn Ferry Tour as a Monday qualifier. Additionally, he reached the Round of 32 at the 2022 North and South Amateur Championship and is the reigning LHSAA Individual Champion.

Owens, who recorded the lowest debut round in program history, finished as the Deacs top player in the Maui Jim Intercollegiate, tying for 13th individually.

COMPETING ON OTHER WAKE FOREST TEAM

PARTICIPATING TEAMS

Wake Forest
College of Charleston
Clemson
Duke
East Tennessee State
Iowa
NC State
UNC-Greensboro
Northwestern
SMU
Virginia

COURSE INFORMATION

Wake Forest Invitational
- Pinehurst No. 2 - Pinehurst, N.C. – Par 70 - 7125 Yards
- The course has served as the site of more single golf championships than any course in America and hosted back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open Championships for the first time in 2014. As the first U.S. Open Anchor Site, the championship will return to Pinehurst in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.

LIVE SCORING

Wake Forest Invitational at Pinehurst No. 2

Live Scoring

TEE TIMES

Monday, March 6 - First & Second Round - Play begins with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. ET with continuous play through the second round

Tuesday, March 7 - Third Round - Play begins at 8:30 a.m. ET