By Ryan Patota, Sports Reporter
Canisius’s golf team competed in the 2024 MAAC Championship that took place at Disney's Palm Course in Lake Buena Vista, F.L., this past weekend. They ended up finishing in seventh place. The team posted a score of 298 in the first round, which was the lowest for the team during the 2024 spring season and the lowest since the final round of the Bucknell Invitational back in October 2023. In the second round and final round, the Griffs put up a score of 299 two days in a row, which ended up placing them in seventh. The Griffs finished five strokes behind Manhattan for sixth place.
Junior Ryan Edholm, who broke records during last year’s MAAC Championship by earning All-MAAC honors and helping the Golden Griffins place fifth, started the 2024 MAAC Championship by shooting one over par with a score of 73 on both Friday and Saturday, which put him in a six-way tie for 13th place. Edholm, who shot a 75 in the final round on Sunday, placed in a tie for 18th place.
Though the Golden Griffins were placed near the bottom, there were glimmers of hope. Freshman Jacob Dantonio had a successful end to his first round with 14 pars to finish the round. He tied for the second-most for any golfer in a 45-player field. He followed it by shooting a 74 in the second round on Saturday and by shooting his lowest round of the season with a 72 in the final round that helped him finish in a tie for 18th place with a three-day tournament score of 221.
“I've learned that this is a very competitive conference and that you have to show up ready to play at every tournament. I think if I stay focused on every shot, I can be successful,” Dantonio said. He added that he hopes to improve himself this summer by staying patient on the course, taking it one shot at a time.
Freshman Mikey Takacs competed in a tie in the top 25 as he also fired a 72, which was five over par. His final round was highlighted by a double eagle on the par four ninth hole that helped him move up seven spots on the leaderboard, leading him to a score of 224.
The Siena Saints ended up winning the entire 2024 MAAC Golf tournament for the second straight year with a final score of 860, winning by a three-stroke margin over Fairfield. The Griffs finished 34 strokes in total behind first place. The Saints were led by MAAC Rookie of the Year Michael McConie.
The Golden Griffins will now turn the page onto next season, which will start in August with all of their players returning since there are no seniors on the current roster.