Hope College's Josh Gibson has another golf scorecard to add to his keepsakes.
The junior from Grandville, Michigan (Grandville HS) and 2017 NCAA Division III individual national champion fired a 61 at Grande Golf Club in Jackson on Friday during the first round of the Adrian College Irish Hills Invitational.
Gibson, pictured, finished 11-under par with 10 birdies, 6 pars, 1 eagle and one bogey to lead Hope to the first-round lead at the 36-hole, seven-team tournament. Hope carded a 279 — 23 better than second-place Hillsdale College's B Team.
The Flying Dutchmen put four golfers in the Top 10.
Sophomore Daniel Settecerri of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (Bloomfield Hills) is second after shooting a 70.
Senior Kade Hoeksema of Byron Center, Michigan (South Christian) is tied for fourth after a first-round 73.
Junior Ben Kramer of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake) rounded out Hope's scoring with a 75 that has him tied for ninth. The tournament concludes tomorrow.
Gibson's 61 is believed to be the lowest 18-hole round in Flying Dutchmen history. The best-recorded round by a Hope golfer is a 65 by Nick Campbell during the 2012 MIAA qualifier for the national tournament and Gibson during the 2017 NCAA Championships.
Gibson opened with a 5-under 31 on the 3,465-yard front nine. He birdied two par-5 holes and three par-4s.
Gibson finished with a 30 that included a hole-out eagle on the 392-yard, par-4 15th hole. He birdied both par-5s and two par-4s.
Gibson used a sand wedge from 70 yards out to roll in an approach on the 15th hole for eagle.
"Everything was going my way," Gibson said. "I had a good front nine, then birdied 10 and 11. I've had good front nines, but never really backed it with another. At that point, I was still feeling comfortable. I had a really good run near the end."
Gibson bogeyed the par-3, 210-yard 17th after using the wrong club off the tee and not getting up and down.
Head coach Scott Lokers called Gibson's performance an incredible round of golf.
"It was a privilege to watch," Lokers said. "He was solid all the way through."
