Royals Men’s Golf Finishes Fifth at Fincastle Intercollegiate
Royals Men's Golf Finishes Fifth at Fincastle Intercollegiate
Tazewell, Va. – The Johnson University men's golf team turned in a strong showing this past weekend at the 2025 Fincastle Intercollegiate, finishing fifth overall in a competitive 12-team field. The three-day event, held September 14–16, featured programs from across the region and tested the Royals on a demanding course setup.
Team Results
The Royals carded rounds of 298 (+10) and 304 (+16) for a two-day team total of 602 (+42), placing them fifth on the leaderboard. Johnson finished ahead of Columbia (SC), Mars Hill, and JWU Charlotte, while Bluefield (VA) claimed the tournament title.
Individual Highlights
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Dean Knight led the Royals with steady play, firing rounds of 74 (+4) and 75 (+5) to finish at 149 (+9).
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Coopar Nianios matched Knight in consistency, also posting rounds of 74 (+4) and 75 (+5) for a total of 149 (+9).
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Sondre Pedersen followed closely behind, improving on his opening 74 (+4) with a 76 (+6) to finish at 150 (+10).
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Landon Dyer provided key scoring for the Royals with rounds of 75 (+5) and 79 (+9), finishing at 154 (+14).
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Jetson Murrell battled through a withdrawal in Round 1 but returned to post a second-round 78 (+8).
Coach's Take
Head coach Jace Devault praised the team's resilience:
"It was a solid start for us. The golf course played extremely tough and we battled and fought for every shot. We put ourselves in a position to have a top finish and that's all you can ask for. All 6 guys that played did a ton of stuff well but there's work to be done to get to where we want to be. We faced a ton of adversity the whole tournament and the guys handled it like pros and as a coach, you love to see that especially with a younger team. Super proud of the guys and looking forward to next week's tournament!"
Up Next
The Royals will return to the course next week at the East TN Collegiate. Johnson City, TN, where they'll look to build on their top-five finish.
