Rookie golfer leads Chapman to first-place tie

LA VERNE, Calif. – The Chapman University men's golf team made an auspicious debut to the 2014 season on Monday afternoon, earning a tie for first place at the SCIAC Preview Tournament at Sierra La Verne Golf Course. Led by freshman Bryan Wise's 3-under par 67, the Panthers shot a four-man total of 293 to tie them with the University of La Verne for the lead in the first event of the year.

The Leopards won the event outright on a tiebreaker by going to the fifth best scorecard from each team, which Chapman lost by two strokes. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps placed third out of the six SCIAC teams with a total score of 304, 11 strokes off the lead.

Wise – the only freshman on the Chapman roster – placed first individually as the only player in the tournament to finish sub-par on the afternoon. He was five strokes better than the next closest player senior teammate Rohan Bahri, who tied for second place with La Verne's Keven Holliday with a 2-over 72.

The rookie Wise shook off any first-collegiate event jitters with an impressive effort on the links that included five birdies and 11 pars. He was over par just twice with two bogeys all day.

Rounding out Chapman's scoring, senior Josh Hurst and junior Kent Paisley each finished with a 5-over 77.

Chapman will be right back at it this weekend as Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana will host the first two-day SCIAC tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

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