HEBRON, Conn. (October 4, 2026) – The Western New England University men's golf team earned a share of third place at the Conference of New England Championships, finishing the two-day event at Blackledge Country Club with a team score of 28-over par. The Golden Bears tied Endicott College for third in the nine-team championship field. Western New England put together a balanced effort across the two rounds, with Aidan Devaney and Kyle DeGroff leading the way at the top of the Golden Bears' lineup. Devaney finished tied for sixth individually, while DeGroff used a strong second round to move into the top 10 and finish third overall.

How It Happened:

First Round:

• Devaney paced Western New England during the opening round, carding an even-par 72 to sit tied for sixth entering the final day. His round featured four birdies, including three across the final six holes, as he closed the back nine with an even-par 36.
• DeGroff opened the championship with a 73 (+1). After making the turn at 37, DeGroff played the back nine in even-par 36, highlighted by birdies on the 11th and 16th holes.
• Kyle Klimas added a 76 (+4) in the opening round. Klimas made the turn at 37 before completing his back nine in 39. Alex Noti and Timothy Spitz each shot 79 (+7), giving Western New England additional depth through the first 18 holes.

Second Round:

• DeGroff delivered Western New England's lowest score of the tournament in the second round, firing an even-par 72. He went out in 33 before completing the back nine in 39, with his round featuring five birdies. The performance brought DeGroff to a two-round total of 145 (+1), moving him into a tie for ninth on the individual leaderboard.
• Devaney followed his opening-round 72 with a 75 (+3). He made the turn at 38 and played the back nine in 37 to finish the championship at 147 (+3), securing a tie for sixth place to lead Western New England individually.
• Klimas recorded a second-round 78 (+6), finishing the championship at 154 (+10) and tied for 18th. Spitz followed his first-round 78 with an 81 (+9), while Nolf closed with an 83 (+11).
• The Golden Bears' collective performance put them at 28-over par for the championship, level with Endicott for third place. Western New England finished nine strokes behind second-place Roger Williams University, which posted a 19-over total.

The University of Hartford captured the Conference of New England Championship at 3-over par, finishing 16 strokes ahead of Roger Williams. Gordon College rounded out the top five at 34-over, six strokes behind Western New England and Endicott.

Up Next:

• Western New England returns to action Saturday, October 10, for the opening round of the Skidmore Fall Invitational at Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The two-day tournament is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.