ALLIANCE, Ohio - A one-and-a-half-hour rain delay marked the start of the 2026-27 season for the Malone University men's golf team, but the poor weather conditions did not impact the Pioneers in round one of their home tournament, the Malone Fall Classic.
 
A six-under score of 282 is one of the lowest scores in program history and just missed the top-ten list. The Pioneers lead Wheaton College by 13 strokes at the halfway point.
 
All five team members for Malone are inside of the top ten individually. Fletcher Cravens leads the way with a four-under 68 on Friday, a mark that hasn't been seen for the Pioneers since 2024. He had five birdes and went 3-under 33 on the back nine. Three of the four par-5 holes were birdies for the sophomore.
 
Carter Miller is tied for second overall as he was under-par as well. His 2-under round of 70 saw him total four birdies with three on the back nine. The trio of Ryan Yoder, Brady Johnson and Alexander Eckstein were at even-par 72 at rounds end. Johnson had four birdies, Yoder two and Eckstein one. They are tied for sixth on the player leaderboard.
 
The Malone B-team was paced by Andrew Fredenburg with a 74. He had one birdie on his scorecard on the second hole, a par-4.
 
Play continues at Tannenhauf Golf Club on Saturday, September 5 at 10:30 A.M. for the second and final round.