GRAND HAVEN, Mich. //  Chip Deegan (Jr / Newport Beach, Calif.) carded a 4-over par 217 to lead the Navy men's golf team to a 12th-place finish at the third-annual Folds of Honor Collegiate played at the par-71 American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Mich. The Mids shot a 49-over par 901 (299-304-298) over the course of three days that featured their low round of the tournament (298, +14) on Wednesday.

Sorting Out the Finish
Sixteenth-ranked Alabama, one of six nationally-ranked programs in the 15-team field, won the tournament with a 12-under par 840 (275-288-277). The Crimson Tide were on fire in the opening round, turning in a 9-under par 275 before cooling off in the second round with a 4-over par 288, opening the door for a hungry Illinois squad. The #9 Illini, who were 2-over in the first round, had the hot hand on Tuesday, finishing the second round with a 6-under par 278 to close to within a stroke of Alabama. The Crimson Tide were dialed in on Wednesday afternoon, carding a 7-under par 277 to secure the victory over Illinois. The Illini placed second with a 5-under par 847 (286-278-283), followed by #8 Texas (287-286-282=855), Michigan State (287-284-290=861) and Notre Dame (287-283-293=863).

Alabama junior Dominic Clemons (a transfer from Stetson) edged out Texas' Tommy Morrison for individual medalist honors. Clemons finished 9-under par 204 (69-66-69), while Morrison was sensational in the final round where he shot a 6-under par 65 but fell short with his 8-under par 205 (70-70-65).

Golfers from across the country were treated to one of the top-ranked facilities in the country - a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course that is a tribute to the military and commemorates the birthplace of Folds of Honor. The Folds of Honor Collegiate was created to benefit the non-profit organization, Folds of Honor, that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of military members who have fallen or been disabled while serving in the United States Armed Forces. All three service academies were represented with Navy placing 12th with a 49-over par 901 (299-304-298), followed by Army in 13th with a 60-over par 912 (318-293-301) and Air Force in 15th with a 77-over par 929 (310-309-310).

Navy Notes
Deegan shot the two best rounds of the tournament for the Midshipmen and climbed his way inside of the top 10 on both Tuesday and Wednesday. The 2023 Patriot League Rookie of the Year opened the event with a 1-over par 72 and pushed up in the standings in round 2 with a 1-under par 70. He turned in a 4-over par 75 in the final round to close out the tournament in 16th with a 4-over par 217.

Team captain Benjamin Valdez (Sr / Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) shot a pair of 78s in the first-two rounds before shaving off five strokes and turning in a 2-over par 73 in Wednesday's final round. He finished the tournament in 54th with a 16-over par 219.

Just three strokes separated Navy's remaining three players with Jack Tarzy (Jr / Medford, N.J.) placing 63rd with a 19-over par 232 (74-80-78), followed by Ed Scott (Lemont, Ill.) in 65th with a 20-over par 233 (83-78-72) and Danny Auffant (So / Bellevue, Wash.) rounded out the group with a 21-over par 234 (75-78-81).

Scott struggled out of the gates with a 12-over par 83 in the opening round, but fine-tuned his game over the next two days to post a 1-over par 72 over the final 18 holes.

Next Up
Navy will be off this weekend, however, it returns to action Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21 and 22 when the Midshipmen play host to The Goat at the Naval Academy Golf Club.

### Go Navy ###