Despite a strong start to their spring season, Utah Valley men’s golf tied for 14th after traveling to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to participate on March 2-3 in the Fort Lauderdale Intercollegiate.
The two-day, 54-hole event was hosted by Loyola Maryland and held at Fort Lauderdale Country Club’s par-72, 7,052-yard North Course. Seniors Gabe Lysen and Zane Loveland, junior Jake Bryson and freshmen Kai Iguchi and Brian Sterri represented UVU and competed against 14 teams and a 78-player field.
The Wolverines completed the tournament at 31-over-par 895 with scores of 306, 295 and 294, placing them in a tie for last place with Loyola Maryland’s second participating team. The team struggled on par-3’s and par-4’s, finishing 15th on par-3’s with an average of 3.60 strokes per hole and ninth on par-4’s with an average of 4.13 strokes per hole. The team also shot par far more often than birdies, finishing with 163 pars putting them which put them at the third highest, and only 30 birdies which was the lowest.
Notwithstanding the team rankings, Iguchi had an impressive second round where he shot an eagle and carded a 5-under-par 67. He finished the event with a 2-over-par 218, leading the team and tying for 26th individually.
Loveland shot an eagle during the third round and finished at 8-over-par 224 with scores of 76, 75 and 73 that placed him in a tie for 47th. Lysen, Bryson and Sterri all shot within a few strokes of one another, carding a 12-over-par 228, 14-over-par 230 and 15-over-par 231, respectively.
Lynn University, which is ranked third among Division II teams, dominated the event with a 30-under-par 834 team score. Their own Carlos Bustos –– ranked 11th nationally at the start of the tournament –– took individual honors after shooting 5-under-par for all three rounds and finishing at 15-under-par 201.
The Wolverines will next compete on March 22-24 in the Golden Horseshoe Invitational at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Follow UVU men’s golf on Instagram (@uvumgolf) and Twitter (@UVUmgolf) for updates on the team.
Photo courtesy of UVU Athletics
