The West Virginia University golf team delivered a competitive performance on familiar ground this week, finishing fourth in the 10th annual Mountaineer Invitational held at the prestigious Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport. With solid contributions from veteran leaders and young talent alike, the Mountaineers showcased depth and determination in a challenging 18-team field that featured nationally ranked programs and difficult playing conditions. Read WVU posts fourth-place finish at Mountaineer Invitational.
Duncan and Wilson Shines
Senior Todd Duncan and junior Kaleb Wilson led the charge for the Mountaineers, each securing Top 15 finishes against a strong field. Duncan, playing in his final home invitational as a Mountaineer, turned in a consistent three-round score of 223 (+7) with rounds of 76, 72, and 75 to tie for 11th place. His second round was particularly impressive, as he battled back from a tough start to go even par and position himself for a strong final round.
Wilson, who has shown steady growth throughout the season, followed closely behind with a 224 (+8), tying for 13th place. His scorecard of 77-74-73 demonstrated resilience and improvement with each round, an encouraging sign as the team eyes postseason play.
Team Effort
The rest of the WVU lineup showed flashes of promise, though the consistency wasn’t quite there to push into the top three. Max Green tied for 33rd with a 231 (+15), including a strong second round of 73. Carson Kammann tied for 43rd at +17, bouncing back from an opening-round 82 to post two solid rounds of 74 and 77. Sophomore Westy McCabe rounded out the team score, tying for 68th at +22.
As a team, the Mountaineers posted scores of 306-293-304 to finish with a three-round total of 903 (+39). That was good enough to claim fourth place overall, ahead of several respected programs including Marshall, TCU, and Oral Roberts. No. 4 Oklahoma State, a perennial powerhouse, claimed the team title with an even-par performance (864). Kentucky finished second at +24, and No. 28 Texas Tech took third at +34.
Oklahoma State’s Eric Lee earned medalist honors with an outstanding performance, finishing at six under par. Lee was the only player in the field to shoot under par for the tournament.
Individual Competitors
WVU also saw strong performances from individuals competing outside the team lineup. Pierce Grieve tied for 27th at +13 (81-72-76), highlighted by an impressive bounce-back in round two. Ryan Leach and Nick Turowski both tied for 33rd at +15, while Harrison Thompson finished tied for 57th at +20. These individual efforts reflect the program’s growing depth and provide encouraging signs for the future.
What’s Next
With the Mountaineer Invitational in the books, WVU now turns its focus to preparing for the Big 12 Championship and the possibility of postseason play beyond that. With veterans like Duncan leading the way and underclassmen gaining experience every week, the Mountaineers are building momentum at just the right time.
