Sebastian Alonzo Earns First Career Top-10 Finish as Navy Places Seventh at The Goat
Sophomore Sebastian Alonzo delivered the best 54-hole tournament of his Navy career over the weekend, earning his first career top-10 finish while leading the Midshipmen to seventh place at The Goat at the Naval Academy Golf Club in Annapolis.
Alonzo finished the tournament at 2-over-par 215 after rounds of 71, 71 and 73, tying for ninth in the individual standings. Navy’s primary five-man lineup combined to shoot 26-over 878 with rounds of 293, 292 and 293, finishing only four strokes outside the top five.
The performance represented a significant improvement for Navy after the Midshipmen opened the 2026-27 season by placing 14th at the Folds of Honor Collegiate earlier in September. Navy entered The Goat as the host program and fielded two complete teams along with four golfers competing individually, giving the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate a large portion of its roster early in the fall season.
Alonzo leads the Midshipmen
Alonzo entered Sunday’s final round tied for fourth after shooting even-par 71 in each of Saturday’s first two rounds. He had positioned himself only two strokes behind the individual leader after 36 holes and closed Saturday by recording birdies on three of his final six holes.
The sophomore remained near the top of the leaderboard Sunday despite shooting a 2-over 73. Alonzo recorded six birdies over the three rounds and completed the tournament at 2-over 215, four strokes behind the three golfers who eventually finished regulation tied for first.
The 215 represented both Alonzo’s lowest 54-hole score and his best score in relation to par as a collegiate golfer. His tie for ninth was also the first top-10 result of his Navy career and placed him only three strokes outside the top five.
It was an encouraging development for a Navy roster replacing several major contributors from last year’s Patriot League championship team. Alonzo competed as a freshman during the 2025-26 season and entered the new campaign with an opportunity to assume a larger role.
He took a substantial step in that direction at Navy’s home tournament.
Auffant and Alstrin give Navy three top-25 finishers
Alonzo was not alone near the upper portion of the leaderboard. Senior Danny Auffant and freshman Collin Alstrin produced nearly identical tournaments and tied for 25th at 7-over 220.
Both golfers shot 74 in each of Saturday’s two rounds before improving to 1-over 72 on Sunday. Auffant recorded eight birdies during the tournament, including three during his final round, while Alstrin totaled six birdies and also made three during Sunday’s closing 18 holes.
Auffant’s performance was particularly notable because of his recent workload. The Goat represented his third tournament appearance in a 14-day span after he competed in Navy’s season-opening Folds of Honor Collegiate and then represented the Naval Academy individually at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup in Frisco, Texas.
Alstrin, meanwhile, continued gaining valuable experience early in his freshman season. The Goat was only his second collegiate tournament after making his debut at the Folds of Honor Collegiate Sept. 7-9.
Having Alonzo, Auffant and Alstrin all finish among the top 25 gave Navy three solid performances around which to build.
Luckett and Cowhey complete Navy lineup
Sophomore Tim Luckett, an Annapolis native, finished tied for 37th after shooting 10-over 223. Luckett opened with rounds of 74 and 73 before closing with a 76 Sunday.
Freshman Payton Cowhey completed Navy’s five-man “A” lineup by finishing 71st. The Tallahassee, Florida, native shot rounds of 76, 81 and 78 for a 22-over 235.
Those five scores helped Navy remain remarkably consistent throughout the weekend.
The Midshipmen opened with a 293, followed with a 292 and closed with another 293. Their 878 total left them four strokes behind fifth-place Holy Cross and only two behind sixth-place UConn.
Navy separates from Colgate
Navy entered Sunday’s final round tied with Patriot League opponent Colgate for seventh place at 17-over 585.
The Midshipmen had been consistent throughout Saturday, shooting 293 during the opening round and 292 in the second. Alonzo’s consecutive even-par rounds were a major reason Navy remained within striking distance of several teams ahead of it.
Navy managed to separate itself from Colgate over Sunday’s final 18 holes but could not make up enough ground to crack the top five.
Still, seventh place put Navy within a small margin of several teams ahead of it. UConn finished sixth at 24-over 876, only two strokes ahead of the Midshipmen, while Holy Cross took fifth at 22-over 874.
George Washington wins team championship
George Washington captured The Goat team championship after entering Sunday only one stroke behind William & Mary.
The Revolutionaries delivered a 1-over 285 during the final round to finish the tournament at 4-over 856. Georgetown made the largest Sunday move among the leaders, shooting 4-under 280 to finish second at 7-over 859.
Saint Joseph’s and William & Mary tied for third at 11-over 863. Holy Cross finished fifth at 22-over 874, followed by UConn at 24-over 876 and Navy at 26-over 878.
The tournament featured teams from throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including Binghamton, Bucknell, Colgate, UConn, Georgetown, George Washington, Holy Cross, Howard, Lafayette, Maryland Eastern Shore, Navy, Saint Joseph’s and William & Mary. The event was played on the par-71, 6,970-yard Naval Academy Golf Club layout.
Dramatic playoff determines individual champion
The individual championship required extra holes.
UConn’s Kai Jun Huang, Georgetown’s Carson Erick and William & Mary’s Preston Burton each completed 54 holes at 2-under 211, forcing a three-player playoff. Erick was eliminated following the second playoff hole, leaving Huang and Burton to determine the championship.
Huang eventually made birdie on the third playoff hole, the course’s ninth hole, to secure medalist honors after Burton narrowly missed his attempt.
Alonzo’s 215 left him just four shots behind that championship trio, underscoring how competitive his performance was throughout the weekend.
Navy’s second team gains experience
Navy also entered a “B” team that provided several younger Midshipmen with tournament experience.
The second Navy lineup finished 14th at 57-over 909. Sophomore Hudson Mitchell led that group with a 10-over 223, tying Luckett for 37th overall.
Josh Durthaler finished 49th at 12-over 225 after opening the tournament with an impressive 2-under 69. Freshman Elijah Estonillo placed 59th at 16-over 229, while senior team captain Luke Lombardo finished 64th at 19-over 232. Freshman Logan Francis completed the group in 81st at 31-over 244.
The tournament carried additional importance for Navy’s roster development. Estonillo and Francis were among four Midshipmen scheduled to make their collegiate debuts during The Goat, along with sophomores Mason Keisch and Daniel Ho.
Four Midshipmen compete individually
Navy also had Ho, Ed Scott, James Devore and Keisch competing as individuals rather than as part of either five-man team.
Ho produced the strongest result of that group. The sophomore made four birdies during Sunday’s final round and shot his best round of the weekend with a 2-over 73. He finished 55th at 15-over 228.
Scott finished 74th at 23-over 236 after rounds of 77, 80 and 79. Devore followed in 77th at 24-over 237 after shooting 78, 80 and 79.
Keisch finished 84th at 50-over 263.
Between its two five-player teams and four individual entries, Navy had 14 golfers competing on its home course, making The Goat an important early-season evaluation opportunity.
Navy turns its attention to Army
Navy now has nearly two weeks to prepare for one of the most important events on its fall schedule.
The Midshipmen will travel to West Point for the annual Army-Navy Star Match on Oct. 3-4. The rivalry competition uses a match-play format rather than the traditional stroke-play format Navy competed under at The Goat.
Navy enters this year’s meeting as the defending winner after rallying to defeat Army 6-5 last season. The Midshipmen won four of the first five singles matches during the final day to secure the victory.
The break between tournaments should give Navy an opportunity to build on its performance in Annapolis while determining which golfers are playing their best entering the rivalry matchup.
MSB Take
Navy’s seventh-place finish does not tell the entire story of the weekend.
The Midshipmen finished only four shots outside the top five and two behind sixth-place UConn while producing almost identical team scores in all three rounds. That consistency is encouraging for a roster that entered the season replacing important pieces from a Patriot League championship team.
The biggest development was Sebastian Alonzo.
Two even-par rounds Saturday put him squarely in championship contention, and although he could not make a final-round charge, finishing 2-over for 54 holes and tying for ninth represents a major step forward. His first career top-10 finish also gives Navy another golfer capable of competing near the front of tournament leaderboards.
Auffant provides veteran stability, while Alstrin’s top-25 finish in only his second collegiate tournament is another encouraging sign. Navy also used the weekend to get competitive rounds for a significant portion of its roster, something that could become important as the season progresses.
The immediate focus now changes.
Army is next, and stroke totals will no longer matter when the Midshipmen arrive at West Point. Match play creates a completely different challenge, but Navy will head into the Star Match with Alonzo playing the best golf of his collegiate career and several younger players showing signs of progress.
