Mt. Gilead, NC. — Led by a first-place tie from Rylan Gay and a top-10 finish from Brady Preslar, the North Carolina Wesleyan University men's golf team competed in the Jack Ingram Invitational October 12–13 at Tillery Tradition Country Club. Hosted by Pfeiffer, the two-round tournament featured 61 golfers representing 11 teams, with the Battling Bishops finishing tied for eighth overall.
Gay delivered a standout performance on the par-72, 6,757-yard course, finishing tied atop the individual leaderboard with a two-round total of 146 (+2). An even-par opening round and a strong finish in the second round helped him secure a share of first place.
In Monday's opening round, Gay carded a 72, recording 14 pars and two birdies. He played the front nine in one-under-par 35, highlighted by a birdie on the par-3 eighth hole. He added another birdie on the par-5 10th before finishing the back nine in 37 to close the day at even par.
Gay followed with a 74 (+2) in Tuesday's final round. His front nine included birdies on the sixth and ninth holes, helping him make the turn at even-par 36. He opened the back nine with a birdie on the 10th before navigating a challenging stretch over the next several holes.
His strongest finish came on the final two holes. Gay birdied the par-3 17th and then eagled the par-5 18th, playing that closing stretch in three under par. Those two holes proved pivotal to his final total of 146 and his place at the top of the leaderboard. Across the tournament, Gay collected six birdies and an eagle.
Preslar also turned in an impressive showing for the Bishops, tying for ninth with a two-round score of 151 (+7). After opening with a 77 (+5), he improved by three strokes in the final round, posting a 74 (+2) to secure his top-10 finish.
Preslar's opening round featured birdies on the par-5 second and 10th holes. He shot a 38 on the front nine and a 39 on the back nine, positioning himself for a strong second-day performance.
On Tuesday, Preslar recorded a birdie on the par-3 eighth hole before making the turn in 39. He began the back nine with an eagle on the par-5 10th, then played his remaining eight holes with seven pars and just one bogey. That steady stretch gave him a one-under-par 35 on the back nine and helped him climb into a tie for ninth in the 61-player field.
As a team, North Carolina Wesleyan recorded matching rounds of 318 for a combined total of 636, finishing tied for eighth among the 11 participating teams. Gay's first-place tie and Preslar's top-10 performance highlighted the Bishops' tournament, with both golfers closing the final round with key contributions on the back nine.
