Top-10s for Power and Murphy in season-opener
Mark Power. Picture: Pat Cashman
Kilkenny’s Mark Power got his Wake Forest University career off to an impressive start when he tied for ninth with Kinsale’s John Murphy and helped the Demon Deacons open the season with a victory in the Rod Myers Invitational at Duke.
The two-time Irish Boys champion and former Peter McEvoy Trophy winner carded three successive, one-under 71s to tie for ninth on three-under par with this year’s Mullingar Scratch Trophy winner Murphy and Walker Cup player Alex Fitzpatrick.
John Murphy. Picture: Pat Cashman
Wake Forest won the team title by three strokes from Duke on 22-under par at Duke University Golf Club with Murphy’s University of Louisville third on six-under.
"The guys went out today and played some very, very good golf," said head coach Jerry Haas. "We knew if we could get off to a good start we could have a shot, and we shot 10-under on the front to take the lead.
“We got to 12-under before getting to some challenging holes to finish, but we did just enough to bring home the victory. Great contribution from everyone this week when your worst finisher is T-21st. We saw a lot of good things from a very young team this weekend."
Four Demon Deacons finished the tournament in the individual top 10. Parker Gillam celebrated his 21st birthday on Sunday by shooting a final round 70 to end the tournament in fourth place at 8-under. Eric Bae shot a final round 71 to finish tied fifth on six-under.
Murphy, who rescued a disappointing summer with victory in Mullingar, recorded his fourth career top-10 for Louisville and his first since the stitch Intercollegiate last April by following rounds of 71 and 66 with a 76.
Oughterard’s Devin Morley tied fo 21st on one-over for Lousiville while Carton House’s Marc Boucher tied for 38th for Charlotte on seven-over.
