Team Canada NextGen member and Kent State University Sophomore Isaiah Ibit holds lead in Individual competition after 8-under 64 performance.
MacTier, Ont. – The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish were able to carry over the momentum from their win at last year’s event on Sunday, collectively shooting 12-under to take a three-stroke lead at the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Invitational at Öviinbyrd Golf Club.
Nate Stevens of Northfield, Minn. led the charge for the defending champions on Sunday, rolling in six birdies to finish his opening round with a team-best 5-under 67. Stevens’ productive opening round was supported by his teammates Jacob Modleski of Noblesville, Ind. and Calen Sanderson of Newton, Pa. who both wrapped up their first rounds at three and four under par respectively.
“We played here well last year, I had some nice rounds too so a lot of confidence on this course,” said Stevens following his round. The Notre Dame product referenced his unique familiarity with the course’s winds to helping better his score on Sunday and looks to maintain that same grasp on the conditions over the final 36 holes.
“Today it was a different wind than we saw yesterday so I was prepared having a couple extra rounds. I hope we’re the most prepared team in the field with how many times we played here,” he added.
Vying for their second title in as many years, the Fighting Irish will have the luxury of doing so from a position of strength with the 18-hole lead and a slight edge over their closest chasers, the University of Michigan Wolverines. Nicolas Simon of Elk Grove Village, Ill. fired a 4-under 68 to help power the Wolverines into contention, with the group set to begin Monday’s second round three shots off the pace at 9-under.
In the Individual competition, Team Canada NextGen member Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. was able to use Sunday’s warmer afternoon conditions to steam past clubhouse leader Stevens and take a three-stroke lead into Monday.
“It’s probably one of my favourite tournaments of the year if not my favourite so its really nice to be back… just kind of a dream weekend,” commented Ibit, who claimed his opening round of 8-under to be his best performance of his collegiate career. “I felt really good on the greens and hit some good putts today,” he added.
An eagle at the par-5 ninth vaulted Ibit into a tie with the clubhouse leader after starting his round with birdies on Nos. two, six and eight to begin his accession up the leaderboard. The Kent State University sophomore was able to distance himself from the pack at the turn, mixing in a trio of birdies at the 10th, 12th and 13th to rocket to eight-under.
The low round should come as no surprise for Ibit, who claimed last year’s Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, by shooting a 6-under 66 in his final round to overcome a two-stroke deficit and land his first victory of the 2024 campaign. Another low round at the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, earlier this summer nearly clinched Ibit his second victory in the last year. His clutch 6-under 64 in the event’s final round secured the Ontarian in a playoff, only to be defeated on the second hole by Declan O’Donovan of Sydney, Australia.
As for the opening round of the Team Canada Selection Camp taking place concurrently alongside this week’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational, Henry Dao of La, Prairie, Que. leads Emile Lebrun of Laval, Que. by a single stroke at 4-under. Dao enters the final 36-holes of the Camp having pocketed a win already in 2025, accomplishing the feat at the 2025 NextGen Quebec Championship for his third victory at the event.
The winner of this week’s Team Canada Selection Camp will earn a secured spot on Team Canada for the 2026 campaign. Alexis Rouleau of Montreal, Que, Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. and Austin Krahn of Chrstina Lakes, B.C. round out the top five after 18 holes.
Both the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Invitational and Team Canada Selection Camp will resume on Monday. Full leaderboards Canadian Collegiate Invitational can be found here, while the rest of the leaderboard for the Team Canada Selection Camp can be found here.
