SOUTHWICK, Mass.- Reigning MASCAC Player and Rookie of the Year Mat Gover leads the opening round of the 2024 MASCAC Men's Golf Tournament hosted by Westfield State at the Ranch in Southwick, Mass.

Play was suspended due to darkness with seven of the nine groupings able to compete their rounds. The remaining holes for round one will be contested tomorrow at 9 am.

Defending champion Gover (Atkinson, N.H.), a sophomore from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts leads among those in the clubhouse with a 1-under par 71 on the 6,600 yard course. Gover bogeyed his first hole of the day, then blitzed the back side in a 2-under 34, birdieing the 10^th, 12^th and 16^th holes before finishing with a bogey.  Gover was both the MASCAC Player and Rookie of the Year in 2023, winning the title at the Meadows at Peabody (Mass.).

Gover is one stroke up on Marymount’s Chase Manion (Damascus, Md.) who carded an even-par 72. Manion recorded one bogey and birdied the 16^th hole. Marymount won the Atlantic East Conference tournament last season.

Marymount (Va.) and Marywood (Pa.) are newcomers to the MASCAC this season as golf affiliates as Division III leagues continue to re-align.

Salem State’s Dan Deliso just beat darkness to finish with a score of 73.

Among other finishers, Springfield’s Amir Ardolino shot 75, MCLA’s Paul Roeder was at 76 and Worcester State’s Jack Ryan went round in 77. Host Westfield State was led by Justin Cataldo’s 78.

No team had all five players finish.  The field will be re-drawn after the first round is complete, with groups going off for round two at 12 noon on Sunday.

Springfield College is the defending conference team champions.  The winner of the conference team title earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament in the Spring of 2025.

Portions of this release courtesy of Westfield State Sports Information