The Kenyon golf team opened its spring season with a trio of spring break tournaments. The Owls finished in 16th place in the Savannah Invitational in Savannah, Georgia, before heading north for the Tiger Invitational in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where they earned a 14th-place finish. Kenyon closed out spring break with a 15th-place finish in the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational on Jekyll Island, Georgia.

For Logan Spiess ’23, the team’s trip was a highlight of the season thus far. “It’s a lot of fun being with the guys and playing a lot of really awesome courses,” he wrote in an email to the Collegian. “Everyone is always gunning to be in the lineup for the spring break trip because it’s one of the most memorable experiences you can have on the team.”

On March 6 and 7, Kenyon competed in the Savannah Invitational, where Armand Ouellette ’25 and Garrett Thesing ’24 led the way for the Owls. After shooting 80 in the first round, Ouellette shot par in the second round. Thesing finished nine over par after shooting 75, 78. Thesing shot a 78 and Ouellette shot a 79, earning them a tie for 44th place. As a team, Kenyon shot 308, 303 on the first day but did not fare as well in the final round. The Owls scored a 319 overall on the day to finish in 16th place. 

For Thesing, the invitational allowed the team to get reacclimated with outdoor play after a winter of indoor practices. “Although our scores were not incredible in Savannah, it was good to get back outside and play on grass while competing against some of the best teams in the country,” he wrote in an email to the Collegian.

Kenyon next competed in the Tiger Invitational on March 11. Due to flooding on the course, the tournament was cut to one round. Will Hulsey ’26 shot 6 over par to finish with a score of 78, earning him a share of 34th place. Spiess finished tied for 57th place after shooting 79. The Owls’ team score of 317 earned them a 14th-place finish.

Kenyon closed out its spring break play with the Jekyll Island Invitational over the weekend. Spiess and Thesing led the Owls, finishing the tournament tied for 37th place with a total score of 220. Thesing shot 1 under par in the first round, before scoring a 75 and a 74 in the second and third rounds, respectively. Spiess shot 79 in the first round, before shooting 66 in the second round, the best 18-hole score at the tournament. He then shot 75 in the third round. Through the first two rounds, Kenyon sat in 10th place with team scores of 299 and 288. The Owls earned 15th place in the tournament after scoring 305 in the final round. In a crowded field of 30 teams, Thesing was proud of the team’s performance. “We played well and were happy to finish in the middle of the pack in a field with the best teams in the nation — probably the best collection of teams we see in the regular season,” he said.

Spiess earned NCAC Men’s Golf Athlete of the Week honors for his 6 under round. Though the honor has always been a goal for Spiess, it was particularly meaningful as evidence of his growth. “I was able to have confidence putting on the greens, which is something I have been having trouble with in previous years,” he wrote in an email to the Collegian. “I was also able to stay mentally strong and finish out the round with the pressure of being under par early on in the round.” 

The Owls will get back on the green on April 2 and 3, when they travel to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the Hershey Cup. Both Spiess and Thesing have their sights set on a return to the national championship. “Our goals are largely centered around going back to nationals this year,” Spiess said. “To make this happen, we need to win the conference tournament again this year.” Thesing believes that Kenyon’s spring break performances show that the Owls can compete against anyone. “Our performance at Jekyll Island and at Destin back in October showed us that we can beat the best teams in the country,” he said.