Michael Brennan wins 2022 Collegiate Showcase

Wake Forest sophomore Michael Brennan set a Collegiate Showcase record Monday, shooting a five-under-par 66 at The Riviera Country Club to earn the final exemption into The Genesis Invitational. Brennan used a birdie-eagle stretch on the 10^th and 11^th holes to separate himself from the largest field in the eight-year history of the Collegiate Showcase. Washington’s RJ Manke finished second with a score of three-under 68.

Brennan, a Leesburg, Va. native who is ranked No. 19 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, became the second Wake Forest player to win the Collegiate Showcase. Will Zalatoris, who played in Brennan’s group during Monday’s round, won the inaugural showcase in 2015. Zalatoris won the PGA TOUR’s Arnold Palmer Award last year as the TOUR’s top rookie and is currently ranked 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

“The opportunity to play in the Collegiate Showcase today was amazing,” Brennan said after his win. “I couldn’t be more grateful for the coaches and the donors at Wake Forest and our whole golf program. To be able be able to play Riviera today was tremendous, and to be lucky enough to win and get to play for another couple days is just the icing on top.”

“My favorite golfer is Tiger Woods,” Brennan continued. “To be playing in his event is pretty dang cool.  I’m just excited to hopefully play with some new guys that I haven’t played with before.”

The 2022 Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase field featured 17 players representing 12 universities. Ethan Mangum, the inaugural Collegiate Showcase Pathway Player, started his round with three consecutive birdies on the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th holes before finishing his round four-over-par.

The Genesis Invitational will be held February 17-20 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. Tickets to the tournament are currently available.