BREWSTER, Mass. (October 19, 2025) – The Western New England men's golf team wrapped up its 2025 fall schedule this past weekend at the 90^th annual New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championships, taking a program-best second place finish as a team while sophomore superstar Derek Johnson won his fourth event of the season, shooting an even par at The Captains Course, claiming the eighth win of his career.

How it Happened:

Seven individuals competed this weekend for the Golden Bears, five counting towards the team score and two playing as individuals, representing Western New England. Derek Johnson, Jeremy Burke, Alex Noti, Kyle DeGroff, and Aidan Devaney's scores counted towards the WNE team placement, while Rian Faiq and Kody Yancey played as individuals for the Golden Bears. 

Derek Johnson carded a bogey to open the round on Saturday afternoon, but quickly erased that bogey with a birdie on hole two. Johnson then took par of the next six holes before bogeying the ninth hole, finishing the front nine one stroke over par, shooting a 37. Johnson was an uncharacteristic (for his standards) two strokes over par after the 13^th hole bogey, but got back to even with birdies on holes 16 and 18, carding a 35 on the back nine for an even-par 72. Johnson bounced back on day two, carding two birdies and an eagle on the front nine for a three-under 33. Johnson double-bogeyed hole 11 and recorded back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17 before finishing with a par on 18 to claim the 2025 NEIGA Individual Championship, defeating Endicott's Connor LaCross by one stroke, winning his fourth event of the season and eighth in his young career. Johnson took the top spot out of 119 golfers overall. 

Jeremy Burke opened day one of the championships with two bogeys before recording four straight pars. He added two more bogeys on holes seven and eight to finish four over par with a 40 on the front nine. Burke stormed back on the back nine, carding a one-under 35 to tie for the team low. He recorded six pars, two birdies, and a bogey to finish with a 75 overall. On day two, Burke was one under through the first three holes but bogeyed the next two, finishing one over par with a 37 on the front nine. Burke cruised through the first six holes of the back nine, paring each one, but stumbled on two of his final three holes with bogeys, still finishing with another 75 on day two. Burke took a 13th-place finish for the event, 

Alex Noti began the opening day of the NEIGA Championships with a bogey but quickly recovered with three pars and two consecutive birdies before losing momentum, recording a pair of bogeys on holes eight and nine to shoot two strokes over par, coming up with a 38. Noti was even through five holes on the back nine before picking up three bogeys on the final three holes, coming up with a 39 on the back nine and a 77 overall. Noti picked up four bogeys on the front nine on day two of the championships, but was saved by a pair of birdies and three pars, shooting a 38, two strokes over par. Noti cleaned up his back nine, carding one over par with two bogeys, a birdie, and six pars to finish with a 75 overall for the Golden Bears. Noti finished in 18th place for WNE. 

Kyle DeGroff opened the front nine of day one of the event by carding bogeys on the first two holes before stringing together four straight pars and six on his final seven holes to open the afternoon, or a 39 on the front nine. DeGroff again bogeyed the first two holes of the back nine before bouncing back with a birdie on the 12th. He closed with three bogeys, two pars, and a double bogey for a 42 on the back nine and an 81 overall for day one. DeGroff improved by one stroke from his day-one front nine, recording seven pars and two bogeys for a 38 on day two. DeGroff took 55th overall for the evemt. 

Aidan Devaney notched a 42 on the opening nine holes of the tournament, picking up four bogeys, four pars, and a double bogey. Devaney stormed back with an excellent back nine despite starting with two bogeys. He birdied holes 12 and 13 and added two more birdies over his final three holes, shooting seven strokes better on the back nine for a 77 on day one. Devaney opened day two with a birdie, the only Golden Bear to do so on the afternoon. Devaney couldn't string together more birdies; however, finishing the front nine with three bogeys, three pars, and two double bogeys, shooting another 42 on the front nine. The WNE first-year rebounded with a one-under-par back nine, recording one bogey, six pars, and birdies again on holes 12 and 13 to finish with a 77 for the day. Devaney took 26th for the event. 

Rian Faiq began the opening day of the tournament with a 41 on the front nine holes, carding three bogeys, five pars, and a double bogey for a respectable start on the front nine. On the back nine, the WNE sophomore improved by one stroke, recording six pars, two bogeys, and a double bogey for an 81 overall. On day two, Faiq began the afternoon with another 40, picking up five pars and four bogeys for the Golden Bears. Faiq was set back by a big number on the tenth hole but still managed five pars and three bogeys for a 46 on the back nine, finishing with an 86 for the second day of the event. Faiq took 85th overall for the event.

Kody Yancey began day one of the tournament with a 40 for the front nine, picking up five pars and four bogeys. Yancey was one stroke under par through the first four holes on the back nine but finished two over for an impressive 78 on day one. Yancey's second round started rocky with two bogeys and a double bogey through the first four holes, finishing the front nine with a 43, seven over par. Yancey played bogey golf on the back nine, carding six bogeys, a double bogey, and a par for a 44 on the back and an 87 overall. Yancey took 76th overall for the event.