The No. 10 Grand Valley State University men’s golf team won the Folds of Honor Challenge, which was played at The Meadows from Sept. 15-17.
The Lakers finished first place, scoring +8 in strokes. This was the Lakers’ fourth consecutive tournament win, helping punch the team’s ticket to the 2026 Folds of Honor Collegiate.
Three Lakers tied for 10th in the final round at three under. These players included senior Manuel Cue Vargus, junior Maverick Conaway and sophomore Ryan Gallagher. Senior Charlie Cooley had a third round of 73 (+2) and three birdies, ending two over par. Graduate student Murphy Kehoe finished the round with a 71 and three birdies. Kehoe also finished in a tie for sixth at one over.
GVSU was able to hold off a charging Aurora University team that carded a -5 in strokes Wednesday afternoon. This helped GVSU climb from fourth to second place. They also finished at eight over and two shots ahead of the Spartans. Other teams in the tournament were tied for third, including Odessa College and Wayne State University, both scoring +18 in strokes. Dallas Baptist University finished in fifth with a score of +23 in strokes.
Emphasizing highlights of the challenge, senior Bryce Wheeler reflected on the Lakers’ performance.
“One thing that was a success this week would be the way we battled adversity all tournament long,” said Wheeler. “Our team is filled with a bunch of grinders and guys who never quit.”
For Wheeler, there were ups and downs when it came to scoring, but his teammates carried the weight for a win in the tournament.
Wheeler finished with a 70 (-1) in the first round, falling a stroke behind senior Andrew Gwilliams, who had a 71 (E). When the second round came up, Wheeler did a much better job. He finished with a 72 (+1), a stroke ahead this time. In the third round, Wheeler dropped back down to a 71 (E), finishing the tournament in fourth place and three spots behind Gwilliams, who finished with -3 to par.
“My game plan was to continue to go out and play as smart and confident golf as possible, and let the score take care of itself,” explained Wheeler.
Coming off a win two weeks ago in the Folds of Honor Collegiate at the American Dunes Golf Course in Grand Haven, this newest win demonstrates the Laker’s skill level. In the Folds of Honor Collegiate, Cue Vargus led scoring for the Lakers, tied for 11th. He tallied a final round of 73 (+2) with five birdies. The Lakers finished with +20 in strokes and ninth place behind Florida State University with +19 in strokes.
The men’s golf team will next travel to the Broadmoor Country Club in Indianapolis for the UIndy Fall Invitational Sept. 22-23.
