Natalie Folsom
Freshman Joey Lenane tees off during the Wolfpack Intercollegiate tournament on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Lenane had a score of 6-over. NC State tied for second place.
NC State men’s golf traveled to the recently renovated Solina Golf Club in Columbia, South Carolina, to compete in the Bryan Bros Collegiate.
The Wolfpack looked to improve upon a second-to-last place showing at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate earlier in September, and, at the end of the first round, NC State stared ahead at the field from an uncomfortable 12th-place spot.
Instead of sinking, they shot 2-under-par for the next two rounds and climbed to a 9th-place finish in a field of 16.
Two NC State athletes finished under par — two more than in Knoxville.
Playing in his first rounds of the season, sophomore Xander Goboy topped his collegiate-best score through three rounds of 4-under-par with a 5-under finish, good for a tie at 11th. But competing as an individual, his efforts did not boost the standing of the team.
Senior Joey Lenane also hit 5-under-par, accompanying Goboy in a tie for 11th, also making his first appearance of the season. Lenane has now played 79 rounds of golf for NC State, the most on the roster by far.
In his first season at the helm, head coach Bo Andrews is looking to replace the production that top scorer Nick Matthews took with him upon graduation in May. In this way, Lenane and Bogoy’s performances at Solina spell promise for the program.
Teammate Evan Woosley-Reed contributed an even-par finish, tying for 31st. The senior from Shelbyville, Tennessee, followed Andrews from Knoxville to Raleigh, and brings big-time experience to the roster. In the 2023-2024 season, he held the second-best scoring average for Tennessee, helping to lead the team to a 10th-place finish in the NCAA championship while earning an All-American award for himself.
Also competing in the field at Solina were regional rivals Clemson, Duke, South Carolina, and UNC Charlotte, who all placed in the top-five. LSU took first with a team score of 35-under-par.
On the individual level, Bryan Kim of Duke scored 16-under-par to lead all competitors.
The event was sponsored by Wesley and George Bryan, the one-half PGA tour pro, one-half golf influencer duo otherwise known as the Bryan Bros.
Next week, the Wolfpack will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to play in the Cullen Brown Collegiate.