OWENSBORO, KY — Kentucky Wesleyan College men’s golf closed its fall season with its best finish at the Bill Crabtree Invitational since 2018, placing second in the two-day tournament Oct. 24-25 at The Pearl Club in Owensboro.

The Panthers’ A team finished at 10-over par, 20 strokes behind tournament champion McKendree, which finished at 10-under par. The event featured nine schools, 12 teams and approximately 80 individual competitors.

Kentucky Wesleyan was led by a pair of top-five individual finishes, with Cohen Jackson placing third at 1-under par and Ryan Loiars finishing fourth at even par.

Jackson delivered a consistent performance across all three rounds. After opening Saturday with a 1-over-par round, the junior shot 1-under par in each of his final two rounds. He recorded seven birdies and a team-high 41 pars.

Loiars finished just one stroke behind Jackson after sharing the individual lead with his teammate with three holes remaining. Following an opening round of 2-over par, Loiars responded with a 2-under-par second round before finishing even in Sunday’s final round. He recorded one eagle and a team-high 10 birdies over the 54 holes.

Tanner Kight tied for eighth at 4-over par, rebounding from an opening round of 5-over par to finish the tournament with six birdies and just four bogeys over his final two rounds. Parker Deutschman also finished inside the top 10, tying for 10th at 5-over par.

Four Panthers finished in the tournament’s top 10. Thomas Scott placed 19th at 10-over par, while Wille Carlsson tied for 26th at 12-over par. Kolby Crook tied for 29th at 13-over par, and Jonathan Kaminski tied for 37th at 14-over par.

Young Harris’ Samuel Ankelstam claimed individual medalist honors at 4-under par, followed by McKendree’s Simon Meiby at 2-under par.

McKendree also made history during Sunday’s final round. Matthew Delanty shot a 9-under-par 63, setting a tournament record for an individual round. The team’s 19-under-par round of 269 tied the tournament record for the lowest team round.

Kentucky Wesleyan’s B team finished eighth at 47-over par. RJ Farrell tied for 46th at 17-over par, while Kyle Hodoval and Garrett Haywood tied for 51st at 20-over par. Andrew Noble tied for 57th at 22-over par, and Maddux O’Guinn placed 61st at 24-over par. Aidan Bartos finished 69th at 34-over par, and Kingston Lovelady placed 74th at 42-over par.

Honoring Bill Crabtree

The invitational honors Bill Crabtree, a former Kentucky Wesleyan assistant golf coach and alumnus who died in 2019 at age 72. The tournament began honoring his legacy in 2023.

Crabtree coached under head coach Ken Badylak, served as a sought-after golf instructor for players throughout the Midwest, and spent seven years coaching in China. Many of his students went on to earn opportunities at major NCAA Division I programs.

Badylak, who also serves as an assistant athletic director, credited Visit Owensboro and the local tourism organization for helping the tournament grow through expanded competition and stronger branding.

He also emphasized the importance of sharing Crabtree’s story with the players each year, remembering him as a friend who cared deeply about Kentucky Wesleyan’s student-athletes and helped advance the program.

The Bill Crabtree Invitational marked the end of Kentucky Wesleyan’s fall schedule. The Panthers will now turn their attention to the spring season.

SNAPSHOT

FINAL — BILL CRABTREE INVITATIONAL
Team finish: Kentucky Wesleyan A — 2nd, 10-over par
Team champion: McKendree — 10-under par
Top Panthers: Cohen Jackson — 3rd (-1); Ryan Loiars — 4th (E)
Other top-10 finishers: Tanner Kight — T-8th (+4); Parker Deutschman — T-10th (+5)
KWC B team: 8th (+47)