The Bob Jones University Bruins golf team opened up the regular season of the 2024 season with a strong start at the Alice Lloyd College Invitational on Monday and Tuesday. Brandon Autry led the team as the individual runner-up as the Bruins finished fifth overall out of 11 teams.
 
The Bruins opened up the two-day tournament in Pippas Passes, Kentucky on Monday as Josiah Swaffer, Brandon Autry, Connor Hairgrove, Dakota Holt, and Braden Benke took to the course.

Early on, Swaffer, Holt and Hairgrove had positioned themselves in the top-five individually. On the fourth hole, newcomer Braden Benke recorded his first career birdie. Through the front nine, every Bruin had notched a birdie for a team total of eight to start the tournament.

At the end of round one, Autry positioned himself with a top-five placement with a score of 73. With a career best round, Holt closed out day one three over par at 75. Benke followed with 81, Swaffer at 84, and Hairgrove with 86.

The Bruins were back on the course for an early shotgun start Tuesday morning,  Continuing his strong run from yesterday, Autry opened day two with four straight pars before a birdie on the ninth hole. Hairgrove and Swaffer each started round two well with Hairgrove going even part and Swaffer +1 through the first six.

At the conclusion of round two, the Bruins finished with a team score of 310 to add to their 313 from round one. Out of 11 teams competing this week in Kentucky, the Bruins finished fifth overall.

With back-to-back personal bests rounds, Autry finished the invitational runner-up and just two strokes behind first place. Holt closed out the tournament with a score of 159 followed by Swaffer at 161, Benke not far behind at 162, and Hairgrove with 167 through two rounds.

"It was a pretty solid start for the fall season," said Head Coach Denny Scott. "Brandon Autry has really worked hard to reach this level in his game and it shows. He shot a personal competition best in each round (73, then 71). To finish second individually in a field of over 60 collegiate golfers is quite an accomplishment."

Scott continued saying, "Braden Benke played consistently in his first experience as a collegiate golfer. The rest of the team had highlights but too many "big numbers" to put together a team score that could have challenged for a top-three finish. Still a top-five team finish is a great start to the season and we have much to build on. This is possibly one of the deepest rosters we have had in a Bruins golf team from top to bottom."

Full results from the tournament can be found here. 

Up next the Bruins will host the Bruins Golf Classic on Monday and Tuesday Cobb's Glen Country Club in Anderson, South Carolina.

Speaking of next week's tournament, Coach Scott said, "we are looking forward to hosting our Bruins Golf Classic next week where we will be able to get a look at every team member under tournament pressure. That will be our best preparation for determining who will be the top five guys to represent the Bruins at the NCCAA South Region championship the following week."