PAXTON, Mass. (September 22, 2026) — The Western New England University Men's Golf team captured the New England Classic, finishing first among an eight-team field with a final score of 24 shots over par at Kettle Brook Golf Club. The Golden Bears finished eleven strokes ahead of runner-up Endicott College, while Kyle DeGroff shared the individual title after posting rounds of 75 and 70.
Tournament Overview
Hosted by Wentworth Institute of Technology, the New England Classic was contested over two days, September 21-22, with two rounds of play at Kettle Brook Golf Club. Western New England finished at 24 over par, followed by Endicott at 35 over par and Western Connecticut State University at 51 over par. Wentworth finished fourth at 53 over par, followed by Gordon College (+56), Nichols College (+66), Suffolk University (+78) and Lesley University (+102).
How It Happened
First Round:
Western New England opened the tournament with five golfers posting rounds between 73 and 86. Timothy Spitz led the Golden Bears with a 73, followed by Alex Noti with a 74 and Kyle DeGroff with a 75. Kyle Klimas carded an 82, while Rian Faiq finished with an 86. Spitz entered the second round in first place individually, while Noti stood tied for second and Degroff was tied for third.
Second Round:
The Golden Bears closed the tournament with a team score of 296, highlighted by a 70 from DeGroff. DeGroff's second-round 70 moved him into a share of first place individually, finishing the tournament at 1-over 145. Spitz followed his opening-round 73 with a 75 to finish third at 4-over 148, while Noti posted a 76 for a two-round total of 150, good for a share of fourth.
Klimas improved by seven strokes in the second round, carding a 75 after an opening-round 82, to finish tied for 12th at 13 over par. Faiq followed an 86 with a 79 to finish at 21 over par.
Key Performances
Kyle DeGroff led the Golden Bears at the end of the tournament and finished atop the individual leaderboard with rounds of 75 and 70. His 70 in the final round was the lowest round recorded by a Western New England golfer and brought his tournament total to a 1-over 145.
Timothy Spitz remained among the tournament's top individual performers, opening with a 73 before carding a 75 in the second round. He finished third overall at 4-over 148.
Alex Noti also finished inside the top five, shooting rounds of 74 and 76 to finish tied for fourth at a 6-over 150.
Kyle Klimas provided a seven-stroke improvement between rounds, moving from an 82 in the opening round to a 75 in the second. He finished tied for 12th at a 13-over 157.
Rian Faiq rounded out the Western New England lineup with an 86 in the first round and a 79 in the second, finishing at a 21-over 165.
Team Results
- Western New England — 24 over par
- Endicott College — 35 over par
- Western Connecticut State University — 51 over par
- Wentworth Institute of Technology — 53 over par
- Gordon College — 56 over par
- Nichols College — 66 over par
- Suffolk University — 78 over par
- Lesley University — 102 over par
Up Next
The Golden Bears return to action Saturday and Sunday, October 3-4, at the Conference of New England Championships, hosted by the University of Hartford at Blackledge Country Club in Hebron, Connecticut.
