PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The 2026-27 season kicked off the Ave Maria Men's Golf team Monday and Tuesday at the PGA National Resort Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens. The Gyrenes closed strong in the final round on Tuesday but still finished in the back of the pack in 14^th place of 16 teams.

Ave Maria had a solid showing in the opening round Monday, shooting 25-over-par as a team. Alex Veneziano and Alfonso Baro Rosas tied for the team lead with a score +3. Veneziano logged 13 pars in the round, including seven straight between holes 17 and 6. Veneziano finished the round with two birdies to stay at 3-over. Baro Rosas logged 13 pars as well and a birdie to match Veneziano. Neal Wheeler was third on the team T +9 and Eric Cherubini rounded out the group at +10. Halfway through Monday, the Gyrenes sat in 13^th place.

The afternoon round of Monday was not as kind to the Gyrenes, shooting an overall 32-over-par. Baro Rosas had sole possession of first place on the team at 5-over-par. Again, the senior logged one par and 13 birdies, but a triple bogey elevated his score by two strokes from the morning round. Veneziano finished one stroke behind him, also with a triple bogey but on a separate hole. Veneziano logged two more birdies and 10 pars. Wheeler again was third on the team at +8, and Cherubini closed out the day with a +13.

After two rounds, the Gyrenes fell a spot by a stroke and sat in 14^th place.

The final round on Tuesday was Ave Maria's best round as a team, but they could not pass the Florida College Falcons to retake 13^th place. As a group, the Gyrenes shot 24-over-par. Veneziano led the team with the best round of the tournament for the Gyrenes, shooting an even 71. The highlight of the round was an eagle on hole 11 for the senior from Mount Dora. It is Veneziano's first eagle since the first round of the Kona Ice Kup last season on March 8. Veneziano was one of four players to score an eagle at the flagship Champion Course at the PGA national Resort.

Will Niziolek got on the scorecard for the first time in the tournament, taking second on the team at 6-over par. Niziolek logged one birdie during the round. Baro Rosas took third on the team at +8 and Cherubini was fourth at +10.

After three rounds, the Gyrenes stayed in 14^th place with a total score of +81. Veneziano was the top finisher for the Gyrenes, tying for 18^th place in a field of 84 golfers. Baro Rosas was tied for 43^rd, Wheeler finished tied for 71^st, Cherubini took 75^th and Niziolek tied for 77^th.

The host Keiser Seahawks won the tournament with a total team score of 12-over-par. The Seahawks had a B team finish in second place, and the St. Thomas Bobcats took third. The individual winner was from Keiser's B team with a final score of 1-under-par.

The Gyrenes are back on the links October 5 and 6 as they tee off in the Jupiter Collegiate Invitational at Jonathan's Landing Country Club in Jupiter, Florida.