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JR

Grand Valley State, DeLong Win Inaugural Folds of Honor Challenge

ALLENDALE, Mich. - Grand Valley State finishes the 2022 Folds of Honor Challenge at The Meadows Golf Club under par and victorious, two results that got out of their grasp at last week’s Folds of Honor Collegiate.

The Lakers recorded rounds of -1 (283), -6 (278), and today’s +3 (287) to claim the inaugural Folds of Honor Challenge title and an automatic invitation into the 2023 Folds of Honor Collegiate. 

“Getting the chance to compete against some of the best Division I teams in the country is a huge deal for us,” Grand Valley State head coach Gary Bissell said. “We were eager to get back and this means the world to us.”

2022 GLIAC Player of the Year and PING First-Team All-American Charles DeLong led individually wire-to-wire and won his second tournament of the season and eighth overall.   

“Playing in the Folds of Honor Collegiate was really special and that fueled us to really want to win this week and get back there next year,” DeLong, who finished T14 last week at American Dunes Golf Club, echoed. “I kept to myself going into this week and we got a taste of what last week meant.”

The entire Laker lineup finished within the top 16. Nick Krueger went 69-70-70 (-4, 2nd place), Drew Coble 68-72-75 (215, +2, 5th place), Charlie Cooley 82-71-71 (+11, T16th place), and Andrew GWilliams 78-73-73 (+11, T16th place) to close the week. Grand Valley individuals Cooper Bell and Alex Jordan also finished T16 and T20.   

“It’s a testament to what we’re building here,” said DeLong. “We have multiple players that can win on any week. When you have that much depth, it takes a little pressure off of everyone, which allows everyone to play better.”

Krueger saw the importance of his play this week.

“I personally came up a little shorter than I wanted to last week, so I wanted to give ourselves a chance to compete again next year,” the Spring Lake, Mich., native, said.

Today’s Final-Round results can be found at this link.

2022 Folds of Honor Challenge Final Team Results

  1. Grand Valley State (-4, 283-278-287)
  2. Findlay (+17, 289-287-293)
  3. South Carolina Beaufort (+42, 303-299-292)
  4. Lee (+43, 301-291-303)
  5. Keiser (+49, 298-299-304)
  6. Hope (+54, 301-303-302) 
  7. Mississippi Gulf Coast (+58, 306-296-308)
  8. Lawrence Tech (+70, 298-315-309)
  9. Grand View (+79, 308-305-318) 
  10. Muskegon (+133, 323-321-341)

About Folds of Honor

Folds of Honor is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of military members who have fallen or been disabled while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Beginning in 2022, it expanded its mission to include first responders. Our educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, tuition for college, technical or trade school and post-graduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate, or professional program. Funds for a second bachelor’s degree or trade/technical program certification are also available. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded about 44,000 scholarships totaling about $200 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 41 percent are minorities. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on GuideStar. It was founded by Lt Col Dan Rooney, the only-ever F-16 fighter pilot (with three combat tours in Iraq) and PGA Professional. He is currently stationed at Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service Detachment 1, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. For more information or to donate in support of a Folds of Honor scholarship visit foldsofhonor.org

About The Meadows Golf Club

The Meadows has been the host of nine NCAA National Championships including the NCAA Division II Women's National Championships in 1996, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2011, and 2015, as well as the NCAA Division II Men's National Championship in 2001, 2007, and 2014. Playing at 7,060 yards from the tips with a course/slope rating of 74.2/133, this links-style wonderland has a rotation of holes that will throw a little bit of everything at you. Wetlands and well-bunkered greens make clear thinking a priority.