PREVIEW: Men’s Golf kicks off spring slate at Bearcat Invitational

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Catawba College men's golf team resumes its 2024-25 campaign at the Bearcat Spring Invitational this week, hosted by Lander at The Preserve at Verdae. The event was previously scheduled for late September, but the effects of Hurricane Helene caused its cancellation.

The field of 13 programs includes two teams that finished the fall ranked in the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches' Poll in USC Aiken (No. 12) and Lander (No. 21). Catawba, slotted 34th in the latest national poll by Clippd, faces five other South Atlantic Conference squads including NCAA Division II Championship attendees Wingate and Coker.

The Catawba Indians posted podium finishes in two of their four fall events, winning the Richard Rendleman Invitational on their home course and placing second in the Malone-Glenmoor Invitational.

Paul Esnault, individual champion of the Malone-Glenmoor, leads the lineup with a 71.83 stroke average after firing six par-or-better rounds to begin his sophomore campaign. Ilia Antoniadis got off to a hot start in his college career, logging a stroke average of 72.33 while shooting under-par six times and earning a top-10 finish in three events.

Pranay Kapur had top-20 placements in two of his three tournament appearances and capped the fall at a 73.56 stroke average. Allan Lockwood opened the year with a pair of top-10s, highlighted by a seventh-place finish at The Rendleman, and averaged 74.33 shots per round. Luke Nelson rounds out Catawba's initial lineup for the spring slate after recording a 77.33 stroke average in two fall appearances with one par round.

Follow Along

Live scoring from The Preserve at Verdae will be available on SCOREBOARD by Clippd HERE.