Loyola’s Eli Spaulding Named Patriot League Men’s Golfer of the Week
Loyola University Maryland junior Eli Spaulding earned Patriot League Men’s Golfer of the Week honors Wednesday after opening the 2026-27 season with one of the best performances of his collegiate career.
Spaulding earned the conference recognition after tying for third at the RedHawk Intercollegiate at Pittsburgh Field Club. The Freeport, Maine, native finished the 54-hole tournament at 7-under-par 206, helping Loyola secure fifth place in its first tournament of the season.
The weekly honor is the third of Spaulding’s Loyola career, continuing what has developed into an impressive run for the Greyhounds junior. He previously earned the conference’s weekly award during the 2025-26 season.
Spaulding Starts Season Under Par
Consistency defined Spaulding’s performance at Pittsburgh Field Club.
Spaulding finished under par in all three rounds on the par-71 course. He opened Monday with a 2-under 69 before improving to a 4-under 67 during the afternoon round. Spaulding closed the tournament Tuesday with a 1-under 70, giving him a three-round total of 206.
That performance placed Spaulding in a tie for third among 84 golfers and marked the second top-three tournament finish of his collegiate career. He also finished only four holes over par during the entire tournament, ranking third in the field with just four bogeys.
Spaulding’s ability to generate birdies was another major part of his success. He recorded 15 birdies over the tournament, tying for the second-highest total in the field.
His most impressive stretch came when Loyola needed it during Tuesday’s final round.
Spaulding played his first 12 holes at 3-over before completely changing the direction of his round. He birdied four consecutive holes from Nos. 13 through 16, turning what could have been a difficult finish into another round under par.
He ultimately finished the final round at 1-under 70 and secured his place inside the top three.
Performance Helps Loyola Finish Fifth
Spaulding’s individual performance also played an important role in a strong season-opening tournament for the Greyhounds.
Loyola finished fifth in the 15-team field at the RedHawk Intercollegiate. Spaulding was joined in Loyola’s lineup by Jack Geyer, Liam Moloney, Diego Neira and Lorenzo Sanz, while freshman Zach Berger competed individually.
Neira provided another major boost during the final round. He birdied three of his final six holes and shot a 3-under 68, climbing from a tie for 61st after two rounds into a tie for 30th overall.
Combined, Spaulding and Neira made seven birdies over their final 12 holes Tuesday.
Sanz and Geyer each finished the final round with 3-over 74s and tied for 37th at 4-over for the tournament. Moloney also shot 74 Tuesday and finished tied for 48th at 6-over. Berger closed with a 2-over 73 and tied for 75th while playing as an individual.
For Loyola, getting a top-three individual performance and a fifth-place team finish provided a productive beginning to the new season.
Third Career Weekly Honor
Spaulding’s latest award adds another conference honor to his Loyola career.
The Patriot League officially selected Spaulding as its Men’s Golfer of the Week, while Bucknell sophomore Joelle Johnson received Women’s Golfer of the Week honors. The league specifically highlighted Spaulding’s 7-under performance, 15 birdies and strong finish at Pittsburgh Field Club.
Spaulding is now a junior on a Loyola roster that includes a mix of experienced golfers and younger players. His ability to immediately produce a top-three finish gives the Greyhounds another proven option near the top of their lineup as the fall schedule develops.
Loyola will return to tournament competition Sept. 26-27 at the Macdonald Cup at Yale Golf Course in New Haven, Connecticut. The Greyhounds are then scheduled to compete in the Maryland Individual Invitational at the University of Maryland Golf Course on Sept. 28.
MSB Take
Spaulding could hardly have started his junior season much better. Three consecutive rounds under par, 15 birdies and a tie for third against an 84-player field represent an outstanding opening tournament.
The most impressive part may have been how Spaulding responded during the final round. Sitting 3-over through 12 holes could have quickly turned his final round into a disappointing finish, but four consecutive birdies completely changed the afternoon.
That ability to recover matters in college golf. Instead of simply protecting his position, Spaulding attacked the closing portion of the course and finished under par for the third consecutive round.
His third career Patriot League Golfer of the Week award is well deserved, but Loyola should be even more encouraged by what the performance could mean moving forward. Spaulding has already shown that he can contend near the top of a tournament leaderboard, and his season opener suggests he could be an important part of Loyola’s pursuit of another successful year.
