SILVIS, Ill. – Southeastern University men's golf matched its opening round score on Thursday and closed out its 2024 season at the NAIA National Championship, missing the cut to advance to the final round.
The Fire posted a second-straight team round of 299 (+15) at TPC Deere Run, bringing their two-day total to 597 (+29), placing them in 21st out of 29 teams—one spot better than their No. 22 national ranking. The top 15 teams advanced to Friday's final round, with the cut line sitting at +21.
Three SEU golfers improved on their opening-round scores, led by junior Zach Shaw, who recorded the team's best individual finish. Shaw shot a 73 (+2) on Thursday after opening with a 74, finishing with a two-round total of 147 (+5), good for a tie for 56th place.
Sophomore Marley Read followed closely behind. After a 75 on Wednesday, Read carded a 74 in Round 2 for a 149 (+7) total, placing him in a tie for 76th.
Freshman Connor Williams, who had SEU's best opening round with a 73, dropped four strokes in his second round and finished at 150 (+8), tied for 80th.
Junior Adam Crawley contributed a 77 on Thursday after his 76 on Day One. His two-day total of 153 (+11) placed him in a tie for 113th.
Sophomore Spencer McCranie made the largest jump of any Fire golfer, improving by four strokes from his opening round of 79 to shoot a 75 on Thursday. He moved up 11 spots to finish tied for 121st at 154 (+12).
Nationally, No. 4 Lindsey Wilson surged to the top of the team leaderboard with a second-round 282 (-2), moving to +1 overall (569). No. 2 Keiser University also made a major move, jumping four spots to second place with a 3-under 281 on Thursday for a +2 total (570). First-day leader Wayland Baptist slipped to third at +3 (571) after a +7 team round.
Individually, Dalton State's Jack Whaley—ranked No. 1 in the NAIA—continued to lead the field with a two-round total of 133 (-9). Lindsey Wilson's Rio Saigal is two strokes back at 135 (-7), followed by Faulkner's Rodolphe Cicala and Webber International's Vedant Sirohl, both at 137 (-5). Thirteen individuals remain under par through the first 36 holes.
Though the Fire fell short of Friday's final round, they concluded their season with a strong showing and a top-25 national finish.
