Golf team swings to 14th place at tourney
Utah State men’s golf team finished 14th posting a score of 921 in the Cuesta Vista/ Cal Poly Intercollegiate 15-team tournament in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Friday.
Cal State Bakersfield led the way throughout the two-day tournament and won, posting a final score of 857.
Head Coach Dean Johansen said he was happy with the team’s performance more than the finish. He said the biggest challenge for the team has been wintertime. The team has had to practice on mats during the winter which puts them at a disadvantage, Johansen said.
“We weren’t as sharp mentally. We made a lot of mistakes. It’s hard to come out of four months of wintertime and expect them to be as sharp mentally and physically,” he said.
The Aggie team was led by sophomore Brandon Ehlers who posted consistently at 79-75-75 for a total of 229. Ehlers tied for 47th place overall for the tournament. Junior Jake Blair scored a 74 on Friday and finished in a tie for 51st place.
The team struggled after two rounds on Thursday finding themselves in last place. Friday’s performance by Ehlers, Blair and Brett Black moved the team up to 14 place.
“We’ve got kids that are starting to step up and mature and how to play on the road. It’s a different game all together on the road than in Utah,” Johanson said.
The men’s team posted scores of 306-314-301 – 921 for the three rounds of the two-day tournament. The next tournament for the Aggie golf team is the Wyoming Cowboy Classic April 10-11 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
British Columbia finished second with a score of 871, with Western Kentucky close behind at a score of 872. Fellow Western Athletic Conference team, Idaho, placed fifth posting a score of 876.
As for the next tournament, Johansen said, “I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be more prepared for that. We’ve played it fairly well in the past.”
-sethhawkins@cc.usu.edu