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MIDDLEBURY, VT (September 13, 2026) – The Tufts University men’s golf team picked up a tied for third place team finish out of 20 teams in the Duke Nelson Invitational to open their 2026-27 season. After ending day one tied for seventh, the Jumbos recorded a field best team score of +10 on day two to climb four spots.
Tufts’ lineup consisted of seniors Brendan Roy, JP Noone, and Nick McCabe as well as sophomore Jason Zawtocki and junior William Ainsworth. Zawtocki followed up his strong first round with an even better second round, shooting a one under par score of 70 to grab a second place individual finish. The sophomore was in control all day long as he logged just two bogeys through 18 holes. Zawtocki carded three birdies on the day to help move the Jumbos up the leaderboard and collect his highest career individual finish.
Junior transfer William Ainsworth came back on day two focused, after ending day one tied for 88th Ainsworth improved his score by 11 shots compared to day one to claw his way to a tied for 53rd individual ranking. Ainsworth did not start his day the way he wanted, recording four bogeys in his first seven holes, but the England native then put together 11 straight par or better holes with birdies on holes one and five. Ainsworth started the second round hole number seven due to the shotgun start.
Seniors Nick McCabe and JP Noone both had solid second days as McCabe earned a four over par mark of 75, while Noone shot a five over par score of 76. McCabe started off on the fourth hole and was locked in out of the gates, notching seven straight par or better holes with a birdie on the 11th to end the event in tied for 53rd individually. Noone did the opposite as he started his second round with a double bogey and two additional bogeys on the first three holes, the Weston native stayed composed and responded with 14 straight pars to finish tied for 27th individually.
Brendan Roy rounded out the active roster for Tufts, ending day two with an eight over par stroke total of 79. Roy tallied 10 par or better holes on the day with a lone birdie on hole number 16 to finish tied for 27th individually.
Tufts finished above fellow NESCAC opponents Colby, Hamilton, Williams, Trinity (Conn.), Bowdoin, and Wesleyan. Amherst finished tied with the Jumbos and Middlebury is the only NESCAC foe to finish above the Jumbos and they earned a first place team finish.
The Jumbos are back on the links next weekend as they will compete in the two-day Williams College Fall Invitational at Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, MA.
–JUMBOS–