The University of Rhode Island men’s club golf team is in just its second semester as an official program, but it’s already showing growth both on and off the course.

The team, which now features 28 players, was officially recognized by the National Collegiate Club Golf Association in the spring of 2024. After being unable to field a full roster last year, the team competed in their first tournament in program history on Oct. 18-19. This milestone marked the beginning of a new era for club golf at URI.

In this tournament at the Hazelton Golf Club in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, second-year Daniel Darwin put up a team-leading performance with rounds of 79 and 67, finishing with a two-day total of 146, the lowest score on the team.

“What really did it for me was getting up and down,” Darwin said. “Every time I miss a green, I chip up and one-putt. I had 21 putts on the day, which is three putts off the PGA Tour record.”

Along with his individual performance, Darwin talked about the importance of staying confident as a team.

“You have to realize that when you hit a bad shot, there’s going to be somebody that’ll have your back,” Darwin said. “It’s really focused on how you’re going to hit the next best shot, and realizing when that shot didn’t go as planned, you’ve got to think about how I can do it better, and you’ve got to think about the positives. At the end of the day, you’re out there individually, but you’re with your team.”

Darwin isn’t the only one who’s been a major part of this growing club. Club President Will Cahill has been a great leader, according to Darwin.

“I’ve been really impressed with just how much Will cares,” Darwin said. “He wants everybody to really focus deeply on themselves. All these people say, ‘I just want to play good golf,’ and he’d say, ‘But what does that actually mean to you? On a deeper level, set something that’s achievable and measurable.’”

As president, Cahill has been guiding the club since its official recognition earlier this year, and he reflected on what it’s been like helping the team establish their footing.

“It’s been awesome; I’m really proud [of] what we’ve been able to get done,” Cahill said. “We’ve definitely had some bumps that we rebounded from strongly, and I think that built our confidence, and I’m just happy that I am surrounded by a good group of guys who are willing to help and put effort into this.”

The team will prepare for their future tournaments by improving their skills both individually and as a team, according to Cahill.

“In terms of scores, I want everyone to be ideally where their handicap is and where their handicap leads them, and if they’re not on the first day, I want the second day to be better,” Cahill said. “I’m not looking for guys to go into day one shooting a crazy score; I’m looking for them to go into day two shooting a better score and just seeing improvement. I don’t care what the number is; I just want these guys to improve.”

After placing fourth at The Ranch Golf Club last weekend, the team will look to build off this in practices throughout the rest of the fall and prepare for tournament play to start back up in the spring.

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