IJAMSVILLE, Md. - The Hood College men's golf team led by as many as 10 strokes and went on to win its first Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Championship, defending its home course at P.B. Dye. 

Up Next

• With the win, the Blazers earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships, which will be held on May 16-19 at Keene Trace in Nicholasville, Ky.

Conference Honors

• Thomas Chatfield, in his first year guiding the men's team, was named the MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year behind the efforts of four All-MAC Commonwealth performers. 
• Brady Leonard (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) shot a 75 on day two to finish in a tie for second at 151 with Eastern's Jake Micewski, just one stroke off the pace of individual champion Gavin Ganter of York (Pa.). 
• Sam Driscoll (Woodsboro, Md./Walkersville) was fifth to join Leonard on the All-MAC Commonwealth First Team. He shot 77 in the final round for a 36-hole 153. 
• Tanner Leonard (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) and Will Kujawa (Fredericksburg, Md./Massaponax) were part of a four-way tie for 10th and earned All-MAC Commonwealth Second Team accolades. Leonard turned in 79 in the second round, one shot ahead of Kujawa as both players had 36-hole scores of 158. 

On the Scorecards

• Brady  Leonard and Driscoll were both even par on the back nine in the second round. Leonard finished with birdies on the seventh, 10th and 16th holes. Driscoll, meanwhile, birdied five, 10 and 17. 
• Tanner  Leonard had birdies on seven and 11, while Kujawa did likewise on two and 15. 
• Patrick Gogarty (Dagsboro, Del./Indian River) as Hood's fifth golfer, shooting a 21st-place 162 after finishing at 85 in the final round. 

On the Leaderboards

• Hood held a two-shot lead over York after day one and it appeared it would be a back-and-forth battle with the Spartans on the final day. York led the team scoring by one before Hood began to pull away on the back nine. 
• The Blazers followed up a their first-day 307 with a 311, totaling 618 over the two-day tournament. The result was a seven-shot win over the Spartans, who finished at 625 (309-316). Hood's 628 was the second best 36-hole outing in program history.
• Ganter led the field by five strokes after an opening round 70, but Leonard and Micewksi crept closer throughout the second day and Leonard came within putt on the 18th green of forcing a playoff.

Notes

• Hood's previous best finish at the MAC Commonwealth Championships was third place in 2015-16. 
• The win was the third of the season as a team for the Blazers. 
• It marks the second team championship for a Hood program in the MAC Commonwealth after men's basketball won the 2021-22 title. 

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