Kent State’s golf teams endured cold and windy conditions en route to strong finishes in their respective tournaments Tuesday.

The Flashes’ men’s team, ranked No. 22 in the nation by Golfweek and No. 24 by Golfstat, played through sleet, rain, and heavy winds in the Davidson College Invitational in Davidson, N.C., and finished second after a 294 in the final round.

The tournament was shortened to two rounds after initial concerns about the weather. Temperatures dipped into the 30’s during the first round of play and didn’t get much warmer for the second.

“We were ready for it, we were prepared,” Kent State Coach Herb Page said. “It’s just harder to shoot a low score because you’re bundled up in clothing, and the ball doesn’t go as far. These were very tough conditions. But they’re the same for everybody, so we were OK.”

Kent State’s Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith finished third and fourth on the individual leaderboard, respectively.

“We’re just lucky to have two of the best players in the country [in Pendrith and Conners],” Page said. “They both played very well.”

Conners was a model of consistency, shooting a 73 on the first day and a 72 on the second, finishing with an overall score of one over par. 

Pendrith recovered from a 75 on the first day, shooting one under par in the second round. Two uncharacteristic out-of-bounds penalties on the 527-yard par-5 second hole ended up costing the No. 31-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. 

“That’s very unlike him,” said Page. “If he pars that hole both days he wins the golf tournament. But, you know, that’s what golf’s all about.”

Tennessee took the top spot after a 293 in the first round and a 294 in the second. Volunteer Oliver Gross finished second on the individual leader board, with Radford’s Conner Hayden earning the top spot after a tournament-best 67 in the final round.

The Kent State women, who were competing in the Kiawah Island Classic in Kiawah Island, S.C., took first in the team competition, outshooting second-place Penn State by 14 strokes. In the final round, the Flashes posted a score of 298, 10 over par and lowest among the 36-team field.

“It was a really good win, especially with the conditions,” Coach Greg Roberson said in an interview with Kentstatesports.com. “They came out and got off to a good start. They really played solid all day.”

Freshman Wad Phaewchimplee tied for first-place with a three-round total of of 220. Phaewchimplee birdied the final hole of the third round to put herself onto level pegging with Boston College’s Katia Joo, especially impressive considering it was statistically the toughest hole on the course for the entire tournament. 

The Bangkok, Thailand native’s victory came in just her second collegiate tournament. 

Strong contributions from Erin Hawe, Natalie Goodson, and Jennifer Ha only strengthened the Flashes’ caused. Four of the five Kent State golfers competing in the tournament finished in the individual top-25.

Freshman Wad Phaewchimplee tied for first-place with a three-round total of 220. Strong contributions from Erin Hawe, Natalie Goodson and Jennifer Ha only strengthened the Flashes’ cause. Four of the five Kent State golfers competing in the tournament finished in the individual top 25.

The women will head to Gainesville, Florida for the Gator Women’s Invitational in two weeks. The tournament is set to tee off Friday, March 14.

As for the men, there will be little time for rest. The Flashes will compete in the General Hackler Championship next Monday and Tuesday, held at TPC of Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.

“We’re going right back out on the road down to Coastal Carolina,” Page said. “It’s another big tournament, with a much more difficult field. It’ll be a big challenge for us.”

Contact Tyler Kieslich at [email protected].