East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State senior men's golfer Ashton McCulloch gets the chance to play in his home province as the Spartans take part in the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, which will be held at Oviibyrd Golf Club in Foots Bay, Ontario, Canada on Monday, Sept. 16 and Tuesday, Sept. 17.
The inaugural Canadian Collegiate Invitational marks the first time that an NCAA Division I men's golf tournament will be played in Canada.
The two-day, 54-hole tournament will be conducted by Golf Canada and co-hosted by Penn State and Kent State, who are both led by Canadian head coaches in Penn State's Mark Leon and Kent State's Jon Mills. The tournament will feature NCAA Division I men's golf teams with prominent Canadian ties along with the team champions of the 2024 Canadian University/College Championship.
The individual winner will receive an exemption into the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, with the top-five receiving exemptions into the 2025 Canadian Men's Amateur Championship.
GOLF CANADA COLLEGIATE
Dates: Monday, Sept. 16 – Tuesday, Sept. 17
Course: Oviinbyrd Golf Club / Foots Bay, Ontario, Canada
Par/Yardage: 72 / 7,157
Format: Stroke play, 54 holes / Play five, count four
Live Stats: Golf Genius
Schedule – Monday – 18 holes – tee times starting at 8 a.m.
Tuesday – 18 holes with tee times beginning at 8 a.m.
MSU LINEUP
No. 1 – Ashton McCulloch
No. 2 – Caleb Bond
No. 3 – Lorenzo Pinili
No. 4 – Julian Menser
No. 5 – Joseph Canitano
IND – Drew Miller
OVIINBYRD GOLF CLUB
Öviinbyrd Golf Club is one of Canada's premier golf courses, designed by Thomas McBroom and opened in 2004 in Muskoka, Ont. The 7,118-yard layout is set amongst the forests and exposed granite of the Canadian shield in Ontario's famous cottage country and will create a challenging and memorable experience for the players. Öviinbyrd's recently renovated practice facility features world class training conditions and state-of-the-art technology and will benefit players participating in both the NCAA event and the Team Canada – NextGen selection camp.
THE FIELD
Kent State (co-host), Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Notre Dame, Penn State (co-host), Rutgers, University of British Columbia, Washington State
RESULTS
Live scoring for the event is available through Golf Genius
LAST TIME OUT
Senior Ashton McCulloch finished in fourth place overall to lead Michigan State to a fourth-place finish among 15 teams at the third annual Folds of Honor Collegiate, held last week American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Mich. … The Spartans finished the three-day, 54-hole tournament at 9-over par 861 (287-284-290), including a 6-over par 290 in Wednesday's final round … McCulloch shot an even-par 71 in the third round and finished in a tie for fourth place alone at 6-under par 207 (67-69-71) … McCulloch had five birdies on the front nine, including four-straight, and finished his round with six … Junior Caleb Bond shot a 4-over par 75 in the third round and tied for 18th place at 5-over par 218 (73-70-75) … Freshman Julian Menser closed out his first collegiate tournament with a 2-over par 73 on Wednesday and finished in a tie for 40th place at 10-over par 223 (73-77-73) … Sophomore Lorenzo Pinili tied for 41st place at 11-over par 224 (74-70-80), posting an 8-over par 80 in the third round … Freshman Juan Velasquez posted his best round of the tournament in Wednesday's final round, finishing at even-par 71. He finished in a tie for 45th place at 14-over par 227 (81-75-71).
A SORT OF HOMECOMING
While Foots Bay, Ontario is four hours home McCulloch's hometown of Kingston, Ontario, this tournament provides a unique opportunity for the senior to play in his native country and province of Ontario … McCulloch was the winner of the 2023 Canadian Amateur and finished as the runner-up this year … He has represented Canada on the international stage and played in the RBC Canadian Open this summer.
LUBAHN'S THOUGHTS
"This is a pretty special trip and event for us, and especially for Ashton. We talk about memory-makers for the guys who play for us and we had one last week with a great start at the Folds of Honor. This is going to be a very special moment for Ashton and his family. As his coach, I'm looking forward to it and I know his teammates are excited for this event."
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
