DUBLIN, Ireland– With the opportunity to come and compete on the great traditional old links at The Royal Dublin Golf Club, the Wake Forest men’s golf team has traveled across the pond and is set to host the inaugural Lyon’s Links College Invitational in Dublin, Ireland.
Wake Forest is the official host at one of Ireland’s most historic Championship Links, and it promises to be a spectacular event. This first of its kind event features six-man teams, but facilitates colleges to bring additional players to compete individually. This is the first known collegiate event on Irish soil, as the experience brings the college game to the original roots of the game.
This will be the first time the Deacs will be traveling outside of the United States as a team since 2019. On their last trip, the Deacs participated in the White Sands Intercollegiate in Nassau, Bahamas, where Parker Gilliam claimed the individual title shooting 17-under.
Gilliam tied an NCAA record and shot a school history low round of 60.
In the Deacs last outing, competing against an elite field that includes multiple teams that made last season’s NCAA Championship, the Wake Forest men’s golf team ended the Inverness Intercollegiate in eighth place with a final score of 850 (+22).
After posting their best round of the tournament in the final round, the Deacs finished ahead of Power-4 schools Louisville, Clemson, Purdue and Michigan.
The first round of the Lyon’s Links College Invitational will tee off at approximately 7:30 a.m. (IST)/ 2:30 a.m. (EST) on September 18th. Jorge Hao will be the first off the tee for the Deacs at 7:40 a.m. (IST)/ 2:40 a.m. (EST).
The Deacs’ Lineup
In his first outing as a Demon Deacon, junior Jakob Melin ended round three as the top Deac on the individual leaderboard at T28. After a bogey free front nine in round three, Melin maintained composure throughout his final round to keep his spot on the leaderboard. Prior to Wake Forest, Melin was named to the 2024 WCC Men’s Golf All-Conference Team. Notably, this marks the second-straight year in which Melin has received conference honors after being named the WCC Freshman of the Year and an Honorable Mention in 2023.
As the only Deac under par in the third round, Marshall Meisel climbed 32 spots up the individual leaderboard finishing at T33 at the Inverness Intercollegiate. Meisel tallied three birdies between holes No. 6 and No. 9, and carded a final round score of 68 (-2), this being the lowest score recorded for the Deacs throughout the Inverness Intercollegiate. Meisel became a mainstay in the lineup competing in 11 events over 33 rounds this season, and captured four top-15 finishes. He had season best finishes at Louisiana Classics (T7) and the Calusa Cup (T9), and made his first postseason appearances in the ACC Championship, NCAA Austin Regional and NCAA Championships.The junior came up clutch for the Deacs in the 5v5 tie breaker format at the NCAA Austin Regional. Meisel birdied the par-5 11th to defeat his opponent by a stroke, ultimately sending the Deacs to their 48th NCAA Championship appearance.
Last season, Kennon captured his first collegiate title at the Calusa Cup, and set a new tournament record shooting six-under par. Kennon tallied 14 birdies on the tournament, and he was one of just six players to finish under par in the 42-player field. The Florida native shot his best in the first round, carding a season low 67 (-5). He claimed four top-10 finishes over twelve events and ended the season second on the team in stroke average at 71.92 including eight rounds in the 60s. Last spring, Kennon claimed All ACC and PING All Region honors.
At the Inverness Intercollegiate, junior Boyd Owens was first in the field in par-three scoring, going -3, and led the Deacs in birdies scored (12) throughout the Inverness Intercollegiate. Owens ends round three tied for 38th. Owens competed in five events last season for the Deacs. The rising junior had a season-best performance at the Highlands Invitational (T36), helping Wake Forest claim the team title. During the 2022-23 season, Owens ended the year with three top-20 finishes including a season-best performance at the Battle at the Run where he placed fourth and helped guide the Deacs to their second team title of the season.
Playing as an individual at the Inverness Intercollegiate, Tom Haberer was tied for 66th at 12-over-par 219 (69-76-74). Haberer competed in 10 events over 29 rounds during his rookie season and made his first NCAA Regional and NCAA Championship appearances. At the NCAA Championship, Haberer finished tied for 40th and tied as the top Deac on the individual leaderboard ending round three at even-par. Haberer secured the highest finish of his career (T5) at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate during the 2023 fall season.
At the Inverness Intercollegiate, Haas rose nine spots up the leaderboard to land himself tied for 43rd. Last season, Haas competed in 24 total rounds during his freshman campaign. He secured the highest finish of his career (T3) at the Invitational at the Ford carding a season low round of 68. Haas shot his best in round one, 68 (-4), and had some key moments including the Deacs’ lone eagle of the tournament on the par-5 11th. Haas claimed three top-25 finishes, including a top-15 finish at the Bank of Tennessee Invitational (T12).
Playing as an Individual
In his last outing at the Inverness Intercollegiate, Adams ended round three holding a share of 63rd at 11-over-par. Adams played in a career-high nine events this season, capturing two top-10 finishes. Adams had his best career finish last season, tying for sixth at The Wake Forest Invitational, and carding a season low round of 67. Adams got hot in round two, finishing three-under (67) and tallying the Deacs only eagle of the tournament on hole No. 10. Finished tied for 25 at the NCAA Austin Regional, ultimately helping the Deacs to a NCAA Championship appearance.
Playing in his collegiate debut, Hao is currently Ranked 24th in the U18 European Golf Rankings, and previously ranked as high as 122nd in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Hao has won seven junior events, and finished in the top-10 in 30 junior events.
This will be Francey’s first outing as a Demon Deacon. Francey earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors at the 2024 Ivy League Men’s Golf Championship. The All-Ivy honors are the second of Francey’s respective career – as he was named a First Team member as a sophomore in 2022. The two-time GCAA All-America Scholar claimed two individual titles during his 2023-24 campaign.
The Field
Wake Forest (Host)
Cal Poly
Elon
National University of Ireland Maynooth
Tournament Format
54-hole stroke play with 18-holes being played each day. The tournament is three days, teeing off on Wednesday September 18th and concluding Friday September 20th. The Wake Forest team will be paired with Elon and Cal Poly in the opening round, while Wake Forest Individuals will be paired with players from Elon, Cal Poly and the National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Tee Times
7:40 a.m. (IST) / 2:40 a.m. (EST)- Jorge Hao (Individual)
8:10 a.m. (IST) / 3:10 a.m. (EST)- DJ Francey (Individual)
8:20 a.m. (IST) / 3:20 a.m. (EST)- Collin Adams (Individual)
8:30 a.m. (IST) / 3:30 a.m. (EST)- Boyd Owens
8:40 a.m. (IST) / 3:40 a.m. (EST)- Jakob Melin
8:50 a.m. (IST)/3:50 a.m. (EST)- Marshall Meisel
9:00 a.m. (IST)/4:00 a.m. (EST)- Scotty Kennon
9:10 a.m. (IST)/4:10 a.m. (EST)- Tom Haberer
9:20 a.m. (IST)/4:20 a.m. (EST) – Kyle Haas
Stats
Stats will be available via Golf Genius
About the Course
Royal Dublin Golf Club
7,269-yard, par-72
Though common in Ireland, there are only 246 authentic links courses in the world. The Royal Dublin Golf Club is proud to be a member of this exclusive group. From 1914 to 1919, during the First World War, the course was taken over by the military and used as a rifle and artillery range. After this the course was all but ruined and the clubhouse, which had been an officers’ mess, was in a very dilapidated condition.
In 1920, with £10,000 compensation, the clubhouse was reconstructed and the links redesigned by H.S. (Harry) Colt, the world-famous golf course architect from Sunningdale. Among the many changes made was the decision to build up new tees at the 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th holes, offering a fine view of Dublin Bay, which had previously been hidden as the tees were below the level of the sand dunes. In the early 2000s, Martin Hawtree, the specialist links architect, was engaged by the Club to bring the course up to the standard demanded by the modern game, while respecting the legacy of Colt.
Hawtree’s work, completed in 2006, resulted in a 7,269-yard, par-72 links of outstanding quality. Royal Dublin Golf Club course was recently ranked in the top 10 in a list of 58 true Irish links courses.
