Freshman Matthew Diehl is making waves in his first season at Grand Canyon University. Every week, he proves he can compete with the top players in college golf. Recently, he won the individual title at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate in Scottsdale. Diehl finished with an impressive score of 14 under par over three rounds, shooting 68, 65, and 69. This victory placed him five shots ahead of a couple of other strong competitors. Remarkably, he outperformed eight players who ranked in the Clippd Scoreboard Division I top 120.
Diehl started the tournament ranked 136, but he’s sure to climb the rankings after making 18 birdies and scoring eight under on par-4 holes. His team, Grand Canyon, finished third overall at 5 under par. They were one of only three teams to finish below par in a competitive field of 17. GCU finished behind No. 27 Mississippi State, the tournament champion, and No. 10 Utah, the runner-up. They also outperformed No. 48 Kansas by 14 shots and Minnesota by eight.
In addition to Diehl’s win, three Lopes finished in the top 25. Graduate Tommaso Zorzetto took 20th place, while senior Kiko Coelho finished 24th. The tournament was a bit challenging due to rain that delayed play. The first round and part of the second were completed on Saturday, while the rest took place on Sunday.
During his final round, Diehl played exceptionally well, finishing with a bogey-free second round that included an eagle on hole No. 9. In the third round, he started strong, making six birdies and going four under after 10 holes. He had one double bogey but maintained solid play throughout the tournament, ending with 30 pars, 18 birdies, one eagle, four bogeys, and one double bogey.
Zorzetto finished the weekend strong as well, scoring 1 under par in the final round with five birdies. Coelho had the best third round of the group, finishing four under and moving up 21 spots in the standings with a total of 12 birdies over the event.
GCU’s sophomore Gavin O’Neill tied for 42nd place at 9 over par, while freshman Campbell Kerr, competing in his first collegiate event, finished 67th at 16 over. In individual play, junior Antonio Bulgheroni made a notable jump to tie for 24th place after making six birdies and only one bogey in his final round.
The Lopes will be back in action soon, as they compete in the GCU Invitational at the GCU Golf Course on Tuesday and Wednesday. The first two rounds will take place on Tuesday, starting with a shotgun start at 8 a.m., followed by the final round on Wednesday morning.
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