The Governors State men’s golf team posted a fourth-place finish out of six teams at the St. Xavier Spring Invitational on April 16-17 at Old Oak Country Club in Lockport, Illinois, carding a two-round team total of 633 (+61) on a par-71 course as Indiana-Kokomo claimed the team title at 611.

Julio Roman was the Jaguars’ top performer across both days, finishing tied for seventh individually with rounds of 78 and 77 for a +13 total, one of the more consistent two-round efforts in the field. Geronimo Piñeros matched Roman’s opening round with a 78 of his own before posting a 79 in round two, finishing tied for 10th overall at +15. Both players gave GovState a reliable one-two punch at the top of the lineup throughout the tournament.

Casey Taylor and Juan Rodriguez each showed significant improvement from round one to round two. Taylor dropped from an 82 to a 79 between rounds, finishing tied for 18th at +19, while Rodriguez was even more impressive in round two, going from an 85 to an 80 to close tied for 25th at +23. Austin Bjes rounded out the team scoring, tying for 20th overall with rounds of 80 and 82 for a +20 total.

Among the individual competitors, Rylan Decker turned in the most dramatic improvement of any Jaguar, rebounding from a tough opening 101 to card an 82 in round two, a 19-shot turnaround that showed a lot of character. Louis Wappler and Zach Hickman also improved in the second round, each posting scores in the high 80s to close out their tournaments.

As a team, GovState shaved three strokes off its round-one total in round two, a sign of the group finding its footing as the season heads into its most important stretch.

Up Next

Governors State heads to Silvis, Illinois, for the CCAC Championship Tournament at TPC Deere Run on Thursday, April 23, with play continuing through April 24. It’s the biggest event on the schedule, and the Jaguars will look to make a statement on one of the region’s premier courses.