WEST POINT, N.Y. //  The Army and Navy men’s golf teams completed the first day of action in the annual Star Match with the Black Knights taking a 3-1 advantage following Friday’s four-ball matches played at the West Point Golf Club. The two teams will return to the links on Saturday with seven singles matches on tap to begin at 8:30 am. The first team to six points will be declared the winner.

Army secured the opening point in the match with John Heckel Jr. and Drew Jeffords pairing up to defeat the Mids’ Jack Tarzy (Jr / Medford, N.J.) and rookie Ed Scott (Lemont, Ill.), 7&6. The Black Knights won the first five holes and six of the opening seven en route to the victory. A veteran player, Heckel Jr. is 2-1-1 in four-ball action against the Mids.

Navy evened the match when seniors Benjamin Valdez (Sr / Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) and Owen Huntington (Sr / Camas, Wash.) teamed up to take down Lake Kim and Dragon Theam 4&3. The Navy pair led virtually the entire match and were rock solid. It’s the first time Valdez, Navy’s team captain has not played with teammate Noah Nuez (Sr / Laveen, Ariz.) in the annual tournament, meanwhile, Huntington is now 3-0 in four-ball matches against the Black Knights over his four years.

Army took a 2-1 advantage in the match when Rob Ferris and Josh Rooker pushed past the Navy combo of Luke Lombardo (So / Severna Park, Md.) and Danny Auffant (So / Bellevue, Wash.). Ferris and Rooker, who went up on the third hole, were 2-up through the first nine holes and then extended the lead to 3-up through 12 holes. 

The final match of the day ended in favor of Army’s Josh Kim and Tyson Sparks over the Mids’ Chip Deegan (Jr / Newport Beach, Calif.) and Kaden Ausen (Fr / Puyallup, Wash.). The Army pair was 3-up through 12 holes, but Deegan and Ausen pushed back and the deficit going into the 15th. The tandems halved the next two holes before Sparks drained a putt to seal the 3&1 win on the 17th.

The men’s golf Star Match marks the fourth among 26 Army-Navy Star competitions played over the course of the academic year that determine the winner of the Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA. The annual showdown between the two rivals in each sport is deemed the Star Game/Match/Meet with the athletes from the winning team receiving a Star for their letter sweaters. For those sports who face Army multiple times in a season, the Star Game is designated prior to the start of the year. 

The series is currently tied 1-1 (Men’s Rugby – Navy / Volleyball – Army) with the third competition of the year (Sprint Football) slated for Friday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Oct. 4, 2024 | West Point, N.Y.

Army 3 | Navy 1

Four-Ball Matches

Benjamin Valdez / Owen Huntington (N) def. Lake Kim / Dragon Theam (A) / 4&3

Rob Ferris / Josh Rooker (A) def. Luke Lombardo / Danny Auffant (N) / 3&2

Josh Kim / Tyson Sparks (A) def. Chip Deegan / Kaden Ausen (N) / 3&1

John Heckel Jr. / Drew Jeffords (A) def. Jack Tarzy / Ed Scott (N) / 7&6

Singles Matches

8:30 am – Luke Lombardo (N) vs. Drew Jeffords (A)

8:40 am – Chip Deegan (N) vs. Tyson Sparks (A)

8:50 am – Ed Scott (N) vs. John Heckel Jr. (A)

9:00am – Owen Huntington (N) vs. Rob Ferris (A)

9:10 am – Jack Tarzy (N) vs. Joshua Kim (A)

9:20 am – Benjamin Valdez (N) vs. Dragon Theam (A)

9:30 am – Kaden Ausen (N) vs. Lake Kim (A)

### Go Navy ###