Wake Forest Men’s Golf made the trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last weekend to compete in the General James Hackler Championship.
The Demon Deacons played some of their best golf this season, securing a sixth top-five finish of the 2024-25 season. This was some of the toughest competition the team has faced all season, with the field including No. 39 Louisville, No. 19 Duke, and No. 1 Auburn.
Wake Forest finished tied for fourth place with an overall score of 862 (-2) over the three rounds. On the individual leaderboard, senior Scotty Kennon finished tied for seventh place, finishing 6-under par.
In the first round, junior Jakob Melin, senior Marshall Meisel, and Kennon all shot even par. Sophomores Kyle Haas and Tom Haberer posted scores of +5 and +7, and with only the four best scores out of five being counted, Wake Forest would end the day with a total of 293 (+5). Kennon posted five birdies on his opening round scorecard, but some mistakes did not allow him to capitalize on them.
“Not the finish we wanted today, both as a team and a couple of the players,” said Head Coach Jerry Haas in a statement following the conclusion of round one. “The score was not indicative of how we played. Lots of good things, but making a few more putts will be helpful.”
Haas was also more optimistic about the second round, adding that “we will be one of the first groups off tomorrow, with a little less wind and some fresh greens.”
The second round was better than the first for Wake Forest, with the group posting a 285 (-3). The standout performance from day two came from the Florida native, Kennon, who posted six birdies and just one bogey en route to a 67 (-5). The rest of the group hovered right around par, with just twelve bogeys total between the other top four starters. Haas recovered nicely from round one, shooting a 73 (+1) with three birdies.
Coach Haas was encouraged by his team’s strong performance in the second round, highlighting the consistency across the lineup. “As a team we moved up closer to the leaders, as all five players stayed in the round,’ Haas said. “Years of coaching tells me that when all five players are looking like they’re going to count, we always have a good day.”
The third and final round for Wake Forest was even better than the previous, with the Demon Deacons finishing strong and posting a 284 (-4), securing a tie for fourth place finish. Melin had six birdies in the final round, shooting his tournament-best 68 (-4). Kennon also found himself under par for the second straight round, shooting a 71 (-1). After a mediocre first round, the Demon Deacons settled in and finished the tournament well.
“Great finish on the last four holes by everyone today, the birdie by Scotty on the last got us another spot in the standings,” said Haas. “All in all, another good week. I can feel the momentum building.”
Wake Forest will hope to carry that momentum into the next tournament, the Valspar Collegiate Invitational in Palm City, Florida.