News

Air Force wins its 13th Service Academy Golf Classic

  • Published
  • By Melissa McKeown
  • Athletic Communications
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. --  The Air Force golf team captured first place at the Service Academy Golf Classic, held at the par-72, 6,883-yard East Course at the Courses at Andrews AFB Oct. 5-6, with junior Kyle Bailey winning medalist honors.

The Falcons, competing against Army, Navy and the Merchant Marine Academy, compiled a team score of 1093 (+13) to win its 13th-straight title at the event.

Seven golfers from each team competed at the tournament, with the lowest five scores in each round counting towards the team score. Army finished second at the event, 23 strokes behind Air Force with a score of 1116, followed by Navy (1127) and the Merchant Marine Academy (1408).

Bailey, a native of Austin, Texas, shot a three-round total of 211 to claim the first medalist honors of his career. His second-round score of 65 was a career low and the low round for the tournament.

The Falcons also took second and third place in the individual standings, with 2006 SAGC winner Tom Whitney (Sr., La Quinta, Calif.) finishing as the runner-up with an even-par 216. Sophomore Robert Belz (San Antonio) posted his best-ever finish, placing third with a score of 219 (+3), including a career-low round of 69 to end the tournament.

Joining Bailey, Whitney and Belz on the SAGC all-tournament team was freshman Andrew Hoops (Highland, Calif.), who tied for sixth place at 222. Meanwhile, Travis Deckert (So., Wichita, Kan.) tied for 12th place in the individual standings at 228, followed by Mark Boyer (So., Hershey, Pa.) in 15th place and Caleb Leestma (So., Seabrook, Texas), who finished 21st.

The Falcons return to action Oct. 26-27 when they travel to Las Cruces, N.M., for the annual Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate hosted by New Mexico State. 

FINAL RESULTS

1 Air Force - 370-361-362 - 1093
1 Kyle Bailey - 75-65-71 - 211
2 Tom Whitney - 71-75-70 - 216
3 Robert Belz - 75-75-69 - 219
T6 Andrew Hoops - 75-74-73 - 222
T12 Travis Deckert - 74-75-79 - 228
15 Mark Boyer - 79-72-80 - 231
21 Caleb Leestma - 81-86-81 - 248