Sam Renner won his second straight individual title at the Oregon State Invitational on Oct. 8.

Renner came from behind, as he entered the final round two strokes behind OSU’s Rylan Johnson. It was a very similar spot to the one that Renner was in just a week prior when he trailed by one stroke at the Badger Invitational in Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Renner closed his tournament with a final round score of two-under, which was enough to claim the victory. In Oregon, he did the same. The junior shot two-under par, while Johnson imploded, shooting five-over. Renner’s victory gives the Cougars four golf titles in 2024, with two more coming from sophomore Alice Johansson on the girls’ team.

Renner’s final round started slow, as he bogeyed two of the first three holes. From there, he fired off five birdies, including two on par-5 holes, helping him become the fifth Cougar to win multiple tournaments. Renner is the first male golfer at WSU to win two individual titles in a single season. His strong performance was a big reason the team managed to finish seventh out of the 12-team field.

The rest of the team struggled. Freshman Tate Bruggerman, who entered the final round in third place, shot seven over, giving him a combined score of one over, for 15th place.

The next best was graduate student Jakob Chicoyne. Chicoyne entered the final round with a score of par, but he too blew up, shooting six-over to finish in 36th place overall.

Sophomore Ben Borgida and freshman Dylan Burcham tied for 50th with a score of nine-over, while senior Drayton Joseph scored 15-over par.

The 2024 season has been a historically strong start for the Cougs on an individual level, with Renner leading the way. The Cougars next head to Stockton, Cal. for the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational on Oct. 14-16, which will be their last competition until spring.