Wildcats, Crimson Tide Lead After Opening Round of 2024 Folds of Honor Collegiate

Wildcats, Crimson Tide Lead After Opening Round of 2024 Folds of Honor Collegiate

(Above; Alabama’s Jack Mitchell lines up a putt)

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. – The opening round of the third annual Folds of Honor Collegiate took place on Monday at American Dunes Golf Club. This year’s tournament has expanded to 15 men’s teams and 15 women’s teams to better reflect the Folds of Honor mission, with 57 percent of scholarship recipients being female.

In the morning window, Texas sophomore Lauren Kim carded five birdies and a bogey-free 67 (-5) to take the Women’s Round 1 lead.

“My putting and short game saved me out there,” said Kim, a Surrey, British Columbia, native. “My ball-striking is like my ‘B’ game right now, but my short game definitely saved me today. I’m glad that I helped out the team and am very grateful as a woman to be here after the women’s field was added.”

Arizona, led by senior Carolina Melgrati’s two-under 70, built a one-shot lead over Ohio State heading into Tuesday’s second round.

“We stayed patient the entire time and didn’t make huge mistakes,” first-year Arizona Head Coach Giovana Maymon said. “We knew it was going to be windy, and I thought that we were pretty good at staying on the right side of the hole all day. The course is in great shape and we love the people who make this what it is.”

“Making your easy pars is very important here because of how tough many of the holes are,” said Milan, Italy, native Melgrati. “You have to take advantage of the easy ones even if you don’t make birdie. We’ve had a lot of big changes at Arizona lately, but I feel like we’re doing great so far. We have a good coaching staff behind us and you can see it on the leaderboard.”

Alabama was the only men’s team under par and lead by 12 after Round 1. In his collegiate debut, Jack Mitchell used six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 6th hole to lead the Crimson Tide with a seven-under 64 and field by three. Michigan State’s Ashton McCulloch is three shots back and Mitchell’s teammates Dominic Clemons and Jonathan Griz are T3 and five back.

“I was really calm coming into the day and excited throughout the week to get over here and make my debut,” Athens, Ala., native Mitchell said. “I hit the ball really well today, chipped it solid when I needed to, and rolled in a lot of putts on the back nine. A round like this solidifies the work I’ve been doing and the people around me pushing me everyday. I’m in a great system and it’s truly cool to see the success.”

“I’m so proud of Jack,” said Alabama Head Coach Jay Seawell. “He and his teacher have worked so hard, making some changes in his golf swing. I knew he was ready to play. I didn’t know he was going to shoot 64 on this hard golf course, but all he told me beforehand was, ‘I want the teammates to learn to trust me.’ I think he gained a lot of trust today.” 

“We start at zero everyday,” Seawell continued. “That’s been our motto for a long time. If you play well, you start at zero. If you play poorly, you start at zero. That’s golf. Tomorrow starts its own day. I look forward to seeing how our guys handle this.”  

The men will tee off for Round 2 of the 2024 Folds of Honor Collegiate at 7:15 a.m. ET and the women at 12:00 noon EST. Follow this men’s link and women’s link for live scoring and Golf Channel’s live coverage will run 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 4:30-7:30 p.m. ET. 

About Folds of Honor

Folds of Honor is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of US military service members and first responders who have fallen or been disabled while serving our country and communities. Our educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, tuition for college, technical or trade school and post-graduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate, or professional program. Funds for a second bachelor’s degree or trade/technical program certification are also available. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded over 52,000 scholarships totaling about $244 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 45 percent are minorities. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on Candid. It was founded by Lt Col Dan Rooney, the only-ever F-16 fighter pilot (with three combat tours in Iraq) and PGA Professional. He is currently stationed at Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service Detachment 1, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. For more information or to donate in support of a Folds of Honor scholarship visit foldsofhonor.org.

About American Dunes Golf Club

In 2006, the Grand Haven Golf Club hosted a small golf tournament that would inspire the founding of Folds of Honor. The Grand Haven Golf Club closed in 2018 and a limited group of patriots joined together with Jack Nicklaus to create American Dunes. Nicklaus led the project by donating his design fee, a group of eighteen individuals sponsored one hole each, and five private investors joined together to preserve the birthplace of Folds of Honor. The mission of American Dunes is unwavering. We are honored to raise awareness and funds for the families of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders.

Since the facility opened in May 2021, over $2.6 million from profits have been donated back to Folds of Honor to provide life-changing educational scholarships.

“American Dunes represents a collaboration of countless likeminded patriots, who want this golf course to forever stand as a tribute to the birthplace of Folds of Honor, a safe haven for veterans who find rehabilitation through the recreation of the game, and a backdrop to celebrate our country and those who fought for its freedom,” said Lt Col Dan Rooney, founder and CEO of Folds of Honor. “A significant legacy such as this is born out of the effort of selfless individuals and companies who have donated their time and resources.” 

About Golf Coaches Association of America

Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of men’s collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA’s mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic and civic endeavors.