Wildcats Wrap Up Regular Season at Inaugural Buckeye Classic

Friday, April 11

Columbus, Ohio

Abilene Christian

Buckeye Classic

Trenton Johnson on the course at the Trinity Forest Invitational at Trinity Forest Golf Club on Oct. 7, 2024.

Wildcats Wrap Up Regular Season at Inaugural Buckeye Classic

4/10/2025 10:47:00 AM | Men's Golf

By: Luke White

LIVE SCORING

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Abilene Christian men's golf looks to end the regular season on a high note at the inaugural Buckeye Classic at Columbus Country Club on Friday and Saturday. The No. 130 Wildcats make the trip to Columbus, Ohio for the third season in a row after competing in the Robert Kepler Invitational at OSU Golf Club for two years.

ACU boasts six top-four finishes this season, five of which have come in its last six tournaments. In their last time out, the Wildcats came in 13th place among 18 teams at the Redhawk Invitational in University Place, Wash. from March 31 to April 1.

ACU joins a 13-team field led by No. 68 Michigan, No. 72 Kent State and host No. 88 Ohio State. Rounding out the competition are No. 100 Miami (Ohio), No. 167 Eastern Kentucky, No. 207 Dayton, No. 222 Bowling Green, No. 226 Purdue Fort Wayne, No. 243 Ohio, No. 261 Robert Morris, No. 264 Colgate and No. 289 Le Moyne.

The Wildcats met Eastern Kentucky at the Redhawk Invitational as the Colonels finished in 16th place, seven strokes back of ACU.

Jaime Lewis and Preston DeFriend return to action after competing at the Redhawk Invitational, while Grégoire Hoyeau, Jack Hollingsed and Trenton Johnson join the lineup at the par 72, 7,077-yard course.

Lewis led the Wildcats at Chambers Bay in a tie for 36th place at 7-over 223. He improved his score with each round, capping the tournament with a 2-under 70 and three birdies in the third round. Lewis recorded the fewest bogeys amongst ACU golfers and shot the most pars. He has a pair of top-10 performances this season, most recently tying for fifth at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational on March 3-4.

DeFriend tied for 62nd at the Redhawk Invitational with a 12-over 228 showing. He tallied nine birdies to pace the Wildcats and tie for 23rd-most in the field, including four in each of the last two rounds. DeFriend met Lewis in the Colin Montgomerie Invitational's top 10 in ninth place, the best finish of the sophomore's career.

Hoyeau was last in action at the South Texas Match Play, where he won two of his three matches. His best finish of the year came at the Bentwater Intercollegiate, where he tied for eighth place. Hoyeau was named Western Athletic Conference Men's Golfer of the Week on Feb. 6 following a 12th-place showing at Los Vaqueros Intercollegiate.

Hollingsed has impressed in his freshman campaign with a pair of top-15 performances and a perfect 3-0 showing at the South Texas Match Play. He tied for 13th at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational after finishing in ninth at the FAU Golf Invitational.

Johnson is back in action for the first time in over two months, having last competed at Los Vaqueros Intercollegiate on Feb. 2-4. There, he tied for 42nd place. Johnson's top showing came at the Bayou City Collegiate Classic, where he tied for 23rd.

Teams will play two rounds on Friday before Saturday's third and final round. Tee times will begin at 8 a.m. (ET) on both days on holes No. 1 and No. 10.