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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Oakland achieved its second top-three finish in just two weeks, finishing third in its first appearance at the Purdue Fall Invitational.
The Golden Grizzlies demonstrated consistency throughout the event, ending the tournament just three-over par with a total score of 867 (288-289-290) over three rounds. Purdue, the tournament host, claimed the title with an impressive final score of 839 (-25), while Butler took second with 858 (-6).
Matteo Rocco once again took the reins for Oakland, holding the #1 spot for portions of both the second and third rounds. He matched his season-best performance, finishing one-under par and tying for 11th overall. Rocco had one of the best par-4 averages with 3.87 strokes per hole, recorded 13 birdies, and achieved the only eagle for the Golden Grizzlies on the first hole during the first round.
Sophomore Brennan Sullivan finished in the top 25 for the second week in a row, placing 23rd, which matched his result from the Tom Tontimonia Invitational. Sullivan recorded 10 birdies throughout the invitational and finished second for the team, his highest placement of the season.
Completing Oakland’s team were Jack Zubkus, Ellis Kinnaird, and Robert Burns, all of whom finished within four strokes of each other. Zubkus placed 27th and led the invitational for the most pars, totaling 39 over the 54 holes. Kinnaird finished just one stroke behind Zubkus, tying for 28th, while Burns ended in a tie for 37th.
Statistically, Oakland compared favorably to other teams. The Golden Grizzlies ranked third in par-3 average (3.27 per hole) and par-4 average (4.05), and were in the top half of the field for birdies (48) and pars (165). After the second round, Oakland achieved its highest ranking of the invitational, sitting in second place, only behind champion Purdue.
OU RESULTS
Team: 288 | 289 | 290 = 867 (+3)
T11. Matteo Rocco: 68 | 70 | 77 = 215 (-1)
T23. Brennan Sullivan: 74 | 71 | 74 = 219 (+3)
27. Jack Zubkus: 75 | 73 | 72 = 220 (+4)
T28. Ellis Kinnaird: 71 | 76 | 74 = 221 (+5)
T37. Robert Burns: 78 | 75 | 70 = 223 (+7)
Complete results of the invitational can be found on Clippd.
*Kelly did not participate in the individual portion of the invitational*
UP NEXT: The Golden Grizzlies wrap up their fall schedule next week at the Dayton Flyers Invitational on Oct. 20-21.
How to Follow Oakland Men’s Golf: For complete information on Oakland Men’s Golf, follow the team on Instagram and X at @OaklandMGolf.