The 2024 Transylvania Fall Golf Invitational, held at the University Club of Kentucky's Big Blue Course, marked an exciting kickoff to the men's golf season. The tournament featured a competitive field from across the country which included some of the top programs in all of Division III. The Big Blue course was a challenging test after receiving over 8 inches of rain on the weekend.
The final stretch of the Transylvania Fall Invitational was dramatic in classic fashion. Over the course of 36 holes and 570 strokes, Transylvania and Mary Hardin-Baylor finished as Co-Champions with a final score of -6. Tom Buchert of Transylvania finished 1st as the low individual with a score of -6 (138). 

Top Performers and Key Moments: Tom Buchert from Transylvania excelled on his home course and achieved medalist honors. Buchert finished with a total score of 6-under par (138). Buchert's final round was highlighted by a chip in eagle at the Par 5 5th hole. This shot helped bolster him to an impressive 31 on the front nine en route to a final round score of 68. Buchert solidified his individual honors with a clutch 7 foot par putt on his final hole. Ian Bramlett from LaGrange finished just one stroke behind Buchert at 5-under par. Bramlett's performance was consistent throughout the weekend. He had a total of nine birdies, including five birdies during his final round. Tyler Allred from Transylvania, and Grant Carter from Mary Hardin-Baylor tied for third place at 4-under par. Allred put on a show with his iron play over the weekend. He had three "deuces" over the weekend which propelled him to a top 3 finish in his final appearance at The Transylvania Fall Invitational. Carter had nearly a clean scorecard in his first round, dropping only one shot and carding four birdies. His second round 71 solidified a top 3 finish. Sam Dolan and Palmer Cuny from Roanoke, and Sean Bledsoe from Wabash finished in a three-way tie for fifth at 3-under par.

 Notable Individual Highlights: There were three scores of 67 which tied for the lowest rounds of the event. In round 1, Charlie Reber of Centre College made six birdies and fired a -5 score of 67. Jaiden Koonar from Kenyon and Jacob DeJesus from Piedmont made their mark at the University Club on Sunday by delivering their own unique rounds of 67. Koonar had four birdies and an eagle, while DeJesus carded 8 birdies.

Transylvania Performances: The Pioneers displayed strength across the board in their opening event. In addition to Buchert and Allred, Senior Ryan Ennis finished in the top 20 at +1 (145). Junior William Carr was +3 (147) for the event landing in 27th place. Tyson Webb produced a solid and consistent score of even par (144), finishing in 14th place. Ty Ruttinger, in his Transylvania Fall Invitational debut, finished 23rd at +2 (146). 
 
Conclusion: The 2024 Transylvania Fall Golf Invitational was a thrilling start to the men's golf season. The Pioneers battled the elements for a tough 36 holes to become Co-Champions in a competitive field on their home track. Tom Buchert's individual win will set the tone for the Pioneers as they continue on in their fall season. Transylvania will be back in action next weekend as they head down I-65 towards Nashville, TN  for the SAA Fall Preview on September 8th.