The men’s golf team finished the first round of the Northwest Collegiate Classic tied for fourth before slipping to a 10th-place finish at Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis, Oregon over the weekend.
“I’m very optimistic. It was a good field, the other teams just shot great the last rounds,” said head coach Jim Bracken. “It was some of our guys first 36-hole event. Some of the guys need to get in better shape.”
The hosting team, Oregon State University, won the team portion of the classic by six strokes over UC Irvine, shooting a total score of 850. The Matadors final score was 882 after shooting a 285 for the first round, 295 for the second round and 302 for the final round.
“We played well in the first round and in the second round they change the pins around,” said Bracken, regarding his squad’s play. “(During) the last round, the wind was really blowing around.”
Vincent Johnson, an OSU sophomore, won individual medalist honors, having the best individual score of 14-under-par, for a cumulative score of 202, a school and tournament record.
UC Irvine’s Kenny Kim had the next best score, swinging a 12-under-par 204. Tyrone Mordt of Texas-Arlington finished third shooting a 9-under-par 207.
Amit Nat a senior for the Matadors had the best finish of the five-man squad of 20th in the individual standings, shooting a 3-over-par 219. Freshman Erik Jarvey, finished 25th, with a 4-over-par 220.
“Jarvey played as our number one in the first round against New Mexico State and Pacific shooting a 68 in the first round,” Bracken said. “He played great for his first collegiate tournament.”
Junior Joe Lopez finished tied for 32nd, hitting a five-over-par 221, senior Josh Lipman had a 12-over-par 228, and Doug Miller, the preseason number one on the team finished 74th after registering a 15-over-par 231.
The team will next travel north to take part in the Fresno State Lexus Classic Oct. 14 and 15. The event will take place at the San Joaquin Country Club, which is situated along side the San Joaquin River. The course was designed in 1961 by Bob E. Baldock followed by Bob Putman in 1972 and Robert Muir Graves in 1988. The course played host to the NCAA Championship in 1982.
“We have a lot of talent. The guys that did not make the (competing squad) will be pushing these guys for spots,” Bracken said. ‘We are not going to win every tourney, but we are going to come together as a team.”
The team holds qualifying amongst themselves to see who will compete in the next tournament with coach Bracken rewarding Nat and Jarvey exemptions from having to quality for the Fresno State Classic.
Malik lee can be reached at malik.lee@csun.edu
