Wake Forest University
Calusa Cup
Deacs Take Part in Elite Field at Calusa Cup to End Season
4/1/2023 7:30:00 PM | Men's Golf
Wake Forest finished third in the field and helped kickstart the Deacs postseason run that included an ACC Championship and NCAA Regional Championship wins.
NAPLES, Fla. – After capturing the team title and individual title at the Battle of Briar's Creek earlier this spring, the Wake Forest men's golf team will look to close the regular season strong against an elite field at the Calusa Cup in Naples, Fla.
The reigning ACC Champions and NCAA Regional Champions are one of eight top 40 teams in the field according to the latest Golfstat rankings. The loaded field includes four of the top five teams in the country as this will be a big test in the final regular season tournament.
The Deacs are coming off one of the best rounds of the season with a final round, carding the second-lowest round to par of the year. Behind big rounds from upperclassmen Mark Power and Michael Brennan, Wake Forest finished the day 9-under-par with Brennan turning in a 66 (-5) while Power had a 67 (-4).
Three tournaments ago, Wake Forest 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.
The Kilkenny, Ireland native was most recently the highest finisher for the Deacs at the Valspar Collegiate
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
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Jay Haas
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Lanny Wadkins
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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.
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Brennan (2022)
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Sahith Theegala (2017, 2020)
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Patrick Cantlay (2011)
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Paul Casey (1998)
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Tiger Woods (1996)
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Corey Pavin (1978, 1981)
Alongside Brennan and Power, sophomore Scotty Kennon is back in the lineup for the fourth time this spring. He has two top-20 finishes in the last three starts.
Tomorrow's first round is scheduled for a noon (ET) start as the Wake Forest team paired with host Iowa and Purdue.
THE DEACS' LINEUP
Brennan, who has now risen to No. 17 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 and claimed his third consecutive top-10 finish at the Wake Forest Invitational.
Earlier this spring Power claimed the Battle at Briar's Creek by four strokes over the field, the second collegiate title of his career. He led nearly the entire way while also leading the Deacs to the team title, the first of the season for the Deacs. He is coming off the Valspar Collegiate where he finished as the highest Wake Forest player on the individual leaderboard, tying for 14th at 4-under-par.
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.
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 had back-to-back top-20 finishes, tying for 12th at the Battle for Briar's Creek and finishing 17th at the Wake Forest Invitational.
In his collegiate debut at the Maui Jim Individual, McLauchlan finished tied for sixth on the leaderboard. He was helped by turning in a debut round of 64 (-8) that was bogey free and included six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 ninth. He was tied for the lead after the opening round.
This was the first of three top-10 finishes during his freshman season, posting his best tournament of the season at the Old Town Collegiate where he was 5-under-par and fourth in the field. McLauchlan claimed his best finish of the spring as he was tied as the top Wake Forest player at the Wake Forest Invitational at Pinehurst No. 2, tying for ninth in the field.
Before coming to Wake Forest, he participated in the 2022 U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, N.J and is also the reigning Jones Cup Junior Invitational champion.
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.
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.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS (9)
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No. 35 Wake Forest
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No. 5 Arizona State
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No. 89 Iowa
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No. 29 Georgia
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No. 3 North Carolina
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No. 26 Ohio State
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No. 39 Purdue
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No. 2 Texas Tech
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No. 1 Vanderbilt
COURSE INFORMATION
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Calusa Cup
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Calusa Pines Golf Club - Naples, Fla. – Par 72 - 7320 Yards
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LIVE SCORING
Calusa Cup
TEE TIMES
Sunday, April 2 - First Round - Play begins at Noon ET
Monday, April 3 - Second Round - Play begins at Noon ET
Tuesday, March 27 - Third Round - Play begins at 8:00 a.m. ET
Players Mentioned
