Broin Wins at Sea Island

March 24, 2025 | 3 min.
By Michael R Fermoyle

St. Simons Island, Ga. -- Gunnar Broin bogeyed the second hole on the Seaside Course at Sea Island Resort last week. But that was it. He didn't make another bogey over the last 34 holes of the Johnnie-O at Sea Island tournament, just a lot of birdies -- nine of them in all -- and the result was a one-stroke victory for the University of Kansas grad student.

After the early bogey, Broin made 13 pars and three birdies on the way to a 2-under first round of 68, although he had to play the last six holes of that round on the second day. He followed it up with three birdies on the front nine and three more on the back in the second round. The resulting 64 gave him a 36-hole total of 132, one better than the aggregate for Noah Kumar, a grad student from Rutgers.. Max Lyons of Marquette was a first-day co-leader with a 65, but he could do no better than 69 on Day 2, the easier day for scoriing, and he finished third at 134.

Noland Harper of Florida Gulf Coast and Penn State's Alex Creamean were another three back in a tie for fourth at 137.

Broin is a former Minnesota State PGA Junior champion from Chanhassen, although he went to Minnetonka High School. He started his college career at Colorado State but transferred to Kansas after his sophomore year.The Johnnie-O was his first college victory, and it elevated him from No. 95 in the NCAA Division I Rankings to No. 58 -- out of more than 2,000 college players who are listed in the rankings.

Cincinnati was in sixth place after the first round, but the Bearcats improved by 17 strokes in Round 2 with a 9-under 271 (four scores count). That gave them an overall two-day tab of 559, and they edged Florida Gulf Coast and Marquette by a single shot to win the team competition. Broin and the Jayhawks posted a total of 564 and tied for fifth in the 13-team fielld.

The Johnnie-O at Sea Island

At Sea Island Resort - Seaside Course

Par 70, 6,933 yards

St. Simons Island, Ga.

Final results

1. Cincinnati 288-2712--559

T2. Florida Gulf Coast 284-276--560

T2. Marquette 280-280--560

4. UNCG 285-277--562

T5. Kansas 287-277--564

T5. Nebraska 283-281--564

7. Michigan State 287-279--566

8. Georgia Southern 288-281--569

9. Princeton 288-282--570

10. Rutgers 294-278--572

11. West Virginia 295-281--576

12. Memphis 292-285--577

13. Penn State 299-281--580

Individual results

1. Gunnar Broin, Kansas 68-64--132

2. Noah Kumar, Rutgers 68-65--133

3. Max Lyons, Marquette 65-69--134

T4, Nolan Harper, FGCU 72-65--137

T4. Alex Creamean, Penn State 70-67--137

T6. Connor McNeely, Cincinnati 70-68--138

T6. Caleb Bond, Mich. State n 72-66--138

Filed Under:

Michael R Fermoyle

Mike Fermoyle’s amateur golf career features state titles in five different decades, beginning with the State Public Links (1969), three State Amateurs (1970, 1973 and 1980), and four State Four-Ball championships (1972, 1985, 1993 and 2001). Fermoyle was medalist at the Pine to Palm in 1971, won the Resorters in 1972, made the cut at the State Amateur 18 consecutive years (1969 to 1986), the last being 2000, and amassed 13 top-ten finishes. Fermoyle also made it to the semi-final matches at the MGA’s annual match play championship, the Players’, in 1982 and 1987.

Fermoyle enjoyed a career as a sportswriter at the St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch before retiring in 2006. Two years later he began a second career covering the golf beat exclusively for the MGA and its website, mngolf.org, where he ranks individual prep golfers and teams, provides coverage on local amateur and professional tournaments and keeps tabs on how Minnesotans are faring on the various professional tours.

Broin Wins at Sea Island

Michael R Fermoyle

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