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2025 OAC Men's Golf Champions

Men's Golf Joe Ginley '16, SID

OAC CHAMPIONS: Men's Golf Wins Final OAC Championship, with Keefe as Medalist

The Blue Streaks conquered the OAC with a gritty effort on the final day

Men's Golf Joe Ginley '16, SID

OAC CHAMPIONS: Men's Golf Wins Final OAC Championship, with Keefe as Medalist

The Blue Streaks conquered the OAC with a gritty effort on the final day

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ohio – For the seventh and final time, John Carroll Men's Golf are the Champions of the Ohio Athletic Conference.

The Blue Streaks will go out on top, conquering the 2025 OAC Championship at River Greens Golf Course. The victory marks the seventh OAC Tournament Championship for the Blue Streaks, and the 17th conference championship overall in program history. 

To add to the history, Michael Keefe won a two-hole playoff to win medalist honors, capping off a truly unforgettable weekend for the Blue Streaks. 

"The team rallied together and pushed through adverse conditions the past three days," said Head Coach Jeff Pawlowski '91. "I couldn't be more proud of the grit they showed." 

Final Results 

The third day of the tournament belonged to the Blue Streaks. Entering Sunday, John Carroll and Otterbein stood deadlocked at +13. From the start of Sunday's third round, it was clear that John Carroll might pull away on the Greens & River course. Rain on Saturday shortened the format from 72 to 54 holes.

Sunday's very first hole helps tell the story. Michael Keefe birdied No. 1 and three other Blue Streaks hit par, while two Cardinals bogeyed and another double bogeyed. 

At the turn, JCU stood two-over-par for the third round, while Otterbein skied to +16. Though on the back nine, the Cardinals rebounded and made it a bit too close for comfort for JCU fans. Otterbein narrowed the gap to five strokes, and Ohio Northern hung around for a while, but this day was John Carroll's. 

Michael Keefe guided the JCU effort by roaring out for a hot start. The Notre Dame College transfer fired out to a one-under-par score of 35 in his first nine. Keefe kept trucking in the back nine, including a birdie on No. 12. But Otterbein's Ian Morgan made up a stroke, forcing a playoff. 

Morgan held the clear advantage after the first round, with a four-stroke lead over Keefe. But the Milford, Massachusetts native trimmed off a stroke in the second, and then beat his for by three strokes on the third round to tie him for a final mark of 215 (+1).

In the playoff, Keefe finished off a three-and-a-half foot putt on the second hole to win it, and become JCU's first medalist since Johnny Roder in 2022. Of course, that being that the year of the miraculous comeback that few Blue Streaks fans will forget. 

Meanwhile, London Hoyser galloped out of the gates, as well. The New Yorker birdied No. 3 and 5, highlighting an even effort on his first nine holes. His back nine featured a more difficult time, but with a 76 to finish, Hoyser ended the weekend at six-over-par. Hoyser's three-round total of 220 tied for fourth. 

Kamden Mowry hit a birdie on No. 4, taking a 37 into the back nine. The Ashland native ran into some trouble with four straight bogeys on the back nine, but a birdie on his final hole softened that. The sophomore finished with a 75 (+4) for the final round, concluding the weekend at 222 (+8). Mowry tied for eighth in the field, earning All-OAC honors. 

Daniel Donahue played steady golf for starters, with par on seven of his first nine holes for a 38 on the front nine. After a birdie on No. 11, the Pittsburgher experienced the difficulty of the wet conditions on the back nine, concluding with a 78. For the weekend, Donahue tallied a 227 (+13), tied for 15th, just one stroke back of 14th and All-OAC honors. 

Austin Malley rounded things out for John Carroll. The sophomore scored a 78 for the third round, highlighted by birdies on No. 12 and 17. His score tied for the last counting score for the squad for the round. Malley finished at 230 (+16) 

For Pawlowski, the day felt like a bookend moment. While in his first year as head coach, Pawlowski has been around the program for quite some time, including as a golfer on the first OAC Championship team in 1990.

"I give a lot of credit to Derek Smith, our Assistant Coach. He gives his time to the program selflessly, and helps get the best out of the team," said Pawlowski. "This win is one of the goals we set last August. We have a couple more to accomplish."

This is JCU's 20th conference tournament title in program history. JCU previously won PAC Championships in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1987, 1988, and 1989; OAC Tournament Championships in 1990, 1994, 1995, 1995, 1997, and 2022; and OAC Regular Season Championships in 2009, 2010, and 2019.

Next Up
The Blue Streaks will prepare for the NCAA Division III Championships. The tournament will be hosted at Midvale Country Club in Penfield, New York from May 20-23. 
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Players Mentioned

Daniel Donahue

Daniel Donahue

Sophomore
London Hoyser

London Hoyser

Sophomore
Austin Malley

Austin Malley

Sophomore
Kamden Mowry

Kamden Mowry

Sophomore
Michael Keefe

Michael Keefe

Junior

Players Mentioned

Daniel Donahue

Daniel Donahue

Sophomore
London Hoyser

London Hoyser

Sophomore
Austin Malley

Austin Malley

Sophomore
Kamden Mowry

Kamden Mowry

Sophomore
Michael Keefe

Michael Keefe

Junior

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