RHODES, Iowa – On a blustery Autumn day, junior Drew Ison finished tied for fourth-place to lead the Drake University men's golf team at the second annual Zach Johnson Invitational on Tuesday at The Harvester Golf Club.
 
"The wind kicked up today and we knew that going in. This is already a difficult course with no wind and then you throw in 20 to 30 miles per hour winds, it makes it even tougher," said Drake head coach Matt Lewis. "We aren't going to play any course that is harder than this. Whatever we see going forward in the next couple of tournaments will feel easier to us. Plus, it is good for the guys to feel some adversity and will help them mentally deal with it in the future."
 
Ison shot a 79 in the 18 holes to lead the Bulldogs with a score of 224 (73-72-79). Freshman Chase Wicklund placed tied for 16th with a score of 232 (74-78-80), while sophomore Jack Kennedy carded a 79 in the final round for a total score of 238 (78-81-79). Fellow sophomore Tommi Avant registered a total score of 239 (80-76-80), and freshman Kyle MacDonald rounded the team effort with a score of 259 (87-85-87).
 
Individually, junior Matt Lavery placed tied for 14th with a score of 231 (75-76-80). Sophomore Arjun Reddy recorded a score of 248 (74-84-90), while senior Karter Smith totaled a 276 (95-85-96).
 
The Bulldogs finished in seventh-place with a score of 933 (305-307-321), while MVC foe Bradley took home the team title with a score of 894 (295-300-299). The Braves' Drake Bushong won individual medalist honors with a score of 216 (71-70-75).
 
Drake returns to action on Sunday at the Northern Illinois Invitational.