FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2023 (Paradise Island, Bahamas) – Nolan Forsman and J.P. Odland were part of a balanced scoring attack for Santa Clara on Saturday that gave the Broncos a five-stroke advantage over North Texas through two rounds of the White Sands Bahamas NCAA Invitational. The 54-hole event will conclude Sunday (Oct. 22).
Odland, a freshman from Tiburon, Calif., birdied three of his last four holes to finish with a 2-under-par 70 and a 36-hole total of 8 under, to share the individual lead. Forsman, a graduate senior from Larchmont, N.Y., tied for the second-best round Saturday with a 4-under 68. Teammates Cameron Kaiser had a 69 and Jeff Kwak added a 70, giving Santa Clara a 26 under total of 550 over the 7,099-yard par 72 Ocean Club Golf Course at Paradise Island, Bahamas.
“Our talent is finally coming to fruition,” said Forsman, one of the team’s veterans. “I struck the ball unbelievably well today, but didn’t putt well, and I was still four under. We can always count on our young guys. J.P. is always near the lead, and (Jeff) Kwak is a birdie machine.”
“We had a good back nine as a team, and that put us in a good position for tomorrow,” said Santa Clara head coach Andrew Larkin. “The young kids have grown up and the senior leadership is awesome.”
Odland is tied for top individual honors with Gareth Steyn of Georgia State. Erik Jansson of Jacksonville State, who eagled the 300-yard par 4 17th by driving the green and holing a 35-foot putt, and Forsman are a stroke back. The individual medalist in the tournament will earn a spot in the PGA TOUR’s 2024 Puerto Rico Open next March.
North Texas, led by Diego Prone and Cody Winkler, who each had 68s, is in second place at 21 under as a team, at 555. Sebastian Bengtsson posted the day’s lowest round with a 67, boosting North Alabama into third place, at -18 and 558. St. Mary’s is fifth, at -17 and 559, followed by Southern Illinois (-14) and Georgia State (-14), Jacksonville State (-3), Wofford (-1) and Wichita State (+2).
This is the fourth year for the annual golf tournament, which was previously played at the Ocean Club Golf Course in 2019, 2021, and 2022. Houston, Mississippi and Duke are the past men’s winners over the layout designed by past major champion Tom Weiskopf.
For more coverage of the 2023 White Sands Bahamas NCAA Invitational, follow @WhiteSandsBah on social media and use the following hashtags: #WhiteSandsBahamas and #WhiteSandsNCAA or visit WhiteSandsBahamas.com
Results following the first round of the White Sands Bahamas NCAA Men’s Invitational, played at the 7,099-yard, par 72 Ocean Club Golf Course at Paradise Island, Bahamas:
TEAM SCORING
1 Santa Clara 273 277 550 -26
2 North Texas 277 278 555 -21
3 North Alabama 281 277 558 -18
4 St. Mary’s (CA) 281 278 559 -17
T5 Southern Illinois 280 282 562 -14
T5 Georgia State 281 281 562 -14
7 Jacksonville State 279 294 573 -3
8 Wofford College 286 289 575 -1
9 Wichita State 295 283 578 +2
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
T1 J.P. Odland Santa Clara 66 70 136 -8
T1 Gareth Steyn Georgia State 67 69 136 -8
T3 Nolan Forsman Santa Clara 69 68 137 -7
T3 Erik Jansson Jacksonville State 69 68 137 -7
T5 Jordan Jung Georgia State 70 68 138 -6
T5 Diego Prone North Texas 70 68 138 -6
T5 Jack Jerge St. Mary’s (CA) 70 68 138 -6
T5 Dain Richie Southern Illinois 70 68 138 -6
T5 Sebastian Bengtsson North Alabama 71 67 138 -6
T10 Jeff Kwak Santa Clara 69 70 139 -5
T10 Muzzy Donohue Santa Clara 69 70 139 -5
T10 Key Coker North Texas 66 73 139 -5
T10 Tucker Allen North Texas 70 69 139 -5
T10 Eric Luo North Alabama 70 69 139 -5
T10 Connor MacMillan Georgia State 69 70 139 -5
T10 Cody Winkler North Texas 71 68 139 -5
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ABOUT THE BAHAMAS
With over 700 islands and cays and 16 unique island destinations, The Bahamas lies just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, offering an easy fly-away escape that transports travelers away from their everyday. The Islands of The Bahamas have world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the earth’s most spectacular water and beaches waiting for families, couples and adventurers. Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram to see why “It’s Better in The Bahamas.”
ABOUT OCEAN CLUB GOLF COURSE
Atlantis Paradise Island’s Ocean Club Golf Course offers a challenging and beautiful course for golfers desiring championship play. Masterfully conceived, the Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole, par 72 championship course stretches over 7,100 yards on Atlantis’ peninsula. The course has hosted iconic sporting events such as the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI), the Michael Douglas & Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament and the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. For more information about Atlantis Paradise Island resort and the Ocean Club please visit www.atlantisbahamas.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For White Sands Bahamas NCAA Invitational
Contact: Mike Harmon
[email protected]
BAHAMAS MINISTRY OF TOURISM, INVESTMENTS & AVIATION CONTACT:
Anita Johnson-Patty
[email protected]
ATLANTIS CONTACT:
Katie Longley
Atlantis Paradise Island
242-376-1034
[email protected]
