New Mexico’s Johnnie Clark and Wyatt Provence co-lead individual competition;
Alexis Rouleau leads Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camp
FOOTS BAY, Ont. – The New Mexico Lobos followed up Sunday with a collective 7-under to remain atop the team leaderboard in the third playing of the Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational at Öviinbyrd Golf Club in Foots Bay, Ont. on Monday.
The Lobos now sit at 15-under for the tournament and take a six-shot lead into Tuesday’s final round over the two-time defending champion, Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Johnnie Clark and Wyatt Provence led the way for New Mexico on Monday, posting scores of 4-under 67. Thayer Plewe’s 1-under 70 and Clark Sonnenberg’s 2-over 73 counted toward the team total in the second round.
New Mexico coach Jake Harrington praised his team’s resiliency on Monday after a tough stretch through the day resulted in a strong finish with the team shooting a collective 11-under through their final six holes of the day.
“Just finishing strong and that’s what we talk about all the time. You’re going to have adversity out there and every day is going to be a different kind of adversity and how you handle it so that’s what the guys did.
“Obviously, Johnnie and Wyatt picked us up today with 67s and even Thayer had a stretch of four birdies in a row and as long as you’re playing consistent golf those birdies can happen at any given moment and we’re lucky that’s what happened today and made a little run at the end,” he added.
Notre Dame responded with a collective 9-under on Monday to cut into the Lobos lead after entering the day eight back. Three of the four members of the Fighting Irish fired in the red figures on Monday with Rocco Salvitti’s 4-under 67, Mike Qui’s 3-under 68 and Peyton Blackard’s 2-under 69. Jacob Modleski added an even par 71 to help the two-times champs get within six of the leaders.
“Notre Dame is not going away, they’re a great squad, coached by a great coach and we know they’re great and they’re going to come after us with everything every single day, so we just got to try and win the day,” said Harrington.
Harrington has said his team will need another round like Sunday, tomorrow to hold off the Fighting Irish.
“Those guys, they’re solid, they’re one of the best teams in the country for a reason. John [Handrigan] being from around the area, I know how bad he wants it, so I’d like to knock him off his pedestal a little bit,” he said with a laugh.
“It’s just fun competing against great coaches, great players and they’re a really good group of guys. We’ve been with them the past two days and it’s been super enjoyable and they’re a class act and they’re powerful so we can’t let our foot off the gas.”
Harrington will reiterate that things are all even in his message to his team tonight.
“We’re still tied at even, you better go beat them today because they’re coming for you tomorrow and that’s the message and I think if we do that, we can hold our own and it’s going to be a fun day tomorrow and that’s what I hope, I hope they play great and I hope we play a little better.”
In the individual competition New Mexico’s Clark and Provence co-lead at 7-under in a crowded leaderboard.
Clark carded six birdies in his round on Monday, narrowly missing an eagle putt on the par-5 18th that would have given him the solo lead. Clark credits his iron play as the strongest part of his game and that aspect helped him today.
“My distance control on iron shots was really good today. I hit a few loose drives but was able to recover and controlling distance out of the rough and putting was pretty solid as well,” he said.
Clark has enjoyed a successful run recently, winning in April at the Thunderbird Collegiate in Tempe, Ariz. and earlier this month at the Pan Pacific University Golf Super League in Shizuoka, Japan and is currently playing with a lot of confidence and will try to carry that into tomorrow.
“If the putts fall, they fall and if they don’t, they don’t so just try to come out and do my thing and if it leads to a win then great,” he added.
While the teammates battle for individual honours, Harrington praises his team’s selflessness.
“All they want to do is win as a team and they’re going to go out and try to win the day but they’re not going to do anything stupid. If they’re out of position they’re going to lay up to a spot that they need to for the team. At the end of the day we want them both to play great and fight it out and one of them will have bragging rights on the way home and that’s just how they are as teammates to each other, they’re all friends and the friendship goes out the window when you’re on the golf course but we’re all still fighting for each other, you fight for something bigger than yourself and that’s how you win tournaments.”
Clark agrees with his coach citing the team’s focus of playing for each other and having each other’s backs.
“We’re all going to be out here grinding and trying to finish it off and if one person isn’t playing well, we’ll have their back. We have a really good group of guys, great group of ball strikers and I think that’s important on this course. Keeping it in play and on the correct side of pins.”
Bennett Espenshade of Rutgers who led after round one, is currently one shot back of the leaders in third at 6-under. Salvitti of Notre Dame is fourth at 5-under, and four players are tied for fifth at 4-under.
The 54-hole tournament features an expanded field of 13 teams and eight individuals, totalling 73 collegiate players competing for the top spot in both team and individual competitions, running concurrently over 54 holes. The top four scores from each team of five count towards the daily team combined score.
This year’s individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2027 RBC Canadian Open, returning to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, June 7 – 13, 2027. The top five individual finishers will also receive exemptions into the 122nd Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.
Current Team Canada – NextGen member Alexis Rouleau of Montreal, Que. holds a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camp.
Rouleau shot a 1-over 72 on Monday to sit 1-under overall. Trailing the 2025 selection camp winner is Team Canada – NextGen teammate Eddie Gu of Aurora, Ont. Gu shot a 2-under 69 to drop to 1-over for the tournament.
The selection camp is running concurrently with the Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational with a field of 21 junior boys competing for one secured spot on the 2027 Team Canada – NextGen roster. To view the leaderboard following the second round click here.
To view the team and player leaderboards following the second round of the 2026 Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational click here.
