Navy Defeats Army, 6-5, to Earn Star on Home Course

The Navy men's golf team won four of the first-five singles matches on Sunday en route to a 6-5 victory over the Black Knights in the annual Army-Navy Star Match played at the Naval Academy Golf Club in Annapolis. 

Luke Lombardo secured the final point on the 18th green, as the Mids claimed the program's first Star win against their arch rival since 2021. 

Not only was it Navy's first Star victory in the annual Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA, it was also the first Star win for Naval Academy Director of Athletics Michael Kelly, Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte and Commandant Capt. Gilbert E. Clark Jr. who were all in attendance and celebrated the win alongside the team.

Additionally, the win marked the school's 1,200th victory over Army with Navy now leading the all-time overall series 1,200-918-46.

The day began with the match locked up at 2 wins apiece following Saturday's four-ball matches. Hudson Mitchell, who paired up with Ed Scott to win one of those four-ball matches, gave Navy its first point of the day. The confident rookie secured the 3&1 win over Army sophomore Griffin Garvin on the 17th and was the lone player on the Navy roster to win his match on both days.

Navy took a 4-2 advantage in the  match when team captain Jack Tarzy fought back from being 3-down early in the match to defeat Army junior Drew Jeffords 2&1.

Army managed its first point of the day in the match between Scott and the Black Knights' William Huang. The seesaw affair played out to the 18th hole where Huang secured the point 2-up. Huang made an impression in his first Army-Navy Star Match, as the rookie also paired up with Griffin Garvin to win their four-ball match.

Meanwhile, the Mids pushed their lead back to two at 5-3 when Sebastian Alonzo walked away the victor against fellow rookie Grant Paolucci, 3&2

That brought up Lombardo, who was 2-down with four holes to play, but managed to claw his way back into the match and was all square heading into the 18th. The third-year player laid up and punched his next shot to the fairway. From roughly 121 yards out, he fired a shot that fell just short of the green. Army's Matthew Duke, meanwhile, sailed his tee shot out of bounds. His re-tee went into the fairway and then he pushed a shot right of the green. Lombardo would chip his shot to within three feet which led to Duke conceding the match to Lombardo and clinch the team win for the Mids.

Remarkably, it was just two years ago in which the scenario was somewhat flipped. The then-rookie Lombardo held a comfortable lead over Army's Lake Kim, but saw it drift away over the closing holes. Lombardo had an opportunity to clinch the match on the 18th, but his 12-foot putt came up just a half inch shy of the cup, forcing a playoff that would not end in favor of the Mids.

"This was one of the greatest feelings from a golf perspective in a long time," said a relieved Lombardo. "Coming up short a few years ago really hurt. Today I was down two with four to play and I found a way to hit some really good golf shots and put myself in position to win.

"I tried not to think about what happened a few years ago, but it was on my mind coming into today because I was in the middle of the pack and knew my match would be impactful. I faltered a little bit, but I was able to get back into it. Having Coach Criscione follow me helped a lot. He kept me calm."

While Lombardo secured the winning point, there were two final matches yet to be completed. Army's Rob Ferris and Tyson Sparks went on to win their respective matches 2-up to fall just a point short in the final tally (Navy, 6-5).