Golfers Start 2022 Schedule with 15th Place Finish at Saint Leo Invite

File photo of Tyler Cleaves. Photo by CACC's Ellen O'Brien at CACC Championship Day 2 in Watertown, Connecticut.
File photo of Tyler Cleaves. Photo by CACC's Ellen O'Brien at CACC Championship Day 2 in Watertown, Connecticut.
Posted: Feb 22, 2022

DADE CITY, Fla. - - In its first action since late October, the Wilmington University golf team finished 15th at the Saint Leo Invitational after three rounds at the Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club on Monday and Tuesday.

Playing in a field with eight of the top 50 teams in NCAA DII, as well as the top team in the NAIA according to GolfStat.com, the Wildcats shot rounds of 306, 308, and 311 for a 925 (+61) to finish 15th out of 17 teams.

The 5th ranked team Lee University won a playoff against No. 9 Nova Southeastern to win the team tournament with an 849 (-15). The NAIA's No. 1 team Keiser finished third overall with an 852 (-12).

Matthew Pulgini led the Wildcats with a 228 (+12) and in a tie for 64th overall. He shot rounds of 76-73-79 for his 228. He was 10th in the tournament in par four scoring, finishing at one-over par in the three rounds with a 4.03 average. He finished with 10 birdies for the tournament.

Jan Lekes and Pablo Quintero tied for 82nd overall with identical 235 (+19) three-round scores. Jan Lekes improved each round, finishing with scores of 81, 79, and a team-low 75 in the third round for his 235. Lekes finished tied for 11th in the tournament with 35 pars in the three rounds. Quintero posted rounds of 75-82-78 for his 235, and was one of 22 golfers to post an eagle in the tournament.

Tyler Cleaves finished in a tie for 86th overall, tying with Pulgini as the team leader through the first two rounds. He ended with rounds of 75-74-88 for a 237 (+21). He finished with eight birdies in the tournament.

Nathan Potts rounded out the Wildcats on the course with a 93rd place finish, shooting rounds of 80-85-79 for a 244 (+28). Potts started the third round with a birdie on the par three 14th and also had a birdie on the par four 10th.

Lee University's Beck Burnette won on a three-hole playoff over Lynn's Alejandro Madariaga. They were tied after three rounds with identical scores of 206 (-10). Nova Southeastern's Josep Serra finished third with a 207 (-9) while his team Michael Hay finished fourth with a 208 (-8).

The Wildcats return to action on Monday, March 14 when they compete at the Ralph Hargett Invitational in Monroe, North Carolina, hosted by Wingate University.