Zach Anderson

On March 29, SDSU defeated the University of Nebraska by a final team score of 584-587 in a 36-hole dual scheduled after the cancellation – due to inclement weather – of the Diet Pepsi Shocker Classic. The event took place at the ArborLinks Golf Course in Nebraska City, Neb., a par-72 course.

The Jackrabbits benefited from another strong performance by Trent Peterson, as he carded rounds of 73 and 71 for an even score of 144 which tied him for the lowest individual score of the dual.

Justin Jenkins chipped in a 146 (71-75) while Geoff Mead and Kyle Vandevoort each posted a score of 148. Mead finished with rounds of 73 and 75, while Vandevoort posted rounds of 76 and 72. Tim Kalil completed the scoring for the Jackrabbits with a two-round total of 150, with rounds of 74 and 76.

Andrew Wyatt was the top golfer for the Cornhuskers with rounds of 75 and 69 to finish tied with Peterson at 144.

Mike Coatman shot a 146 (73-73) and Scott Willman a 148 (75-73) for Nebraska.

Morningside (Iowa) also competed in the dual and recorded a score of 644 (324-320).

Coach Jared Baszler felt that the dual helped the team move even closer to returning to pre-winter form during which SDSU finished in first place three times.

“I feel we got a lot better ? in our dual with Nebraska, and I hope that momentum can carry us into next week,” Baszler said. “We will be going up against a very strong field; therefore, we need to be prepared for it as best we can.”

Prior to the dual with Nebraska, the SDSU men’s golf team used a strong second round to finish sixth out of 22 teams at the First Market Bank Intercollegiate tournament in Williamsburg, Va., on March 23 to 24.

SDSU was in ninth place at the end of the first day of competition but bettered their first-round team score of 299 with a 297 in the second round to move up three spots. The event was hosted by the College of William and Mary at the River Course at Kingsmill Resort, which is a 6,831-yard course with a par of 71.

The tournament was just the second of the spring portion of the season for the Jacks. Baszler recognized that his players will still be fighting to overcome the effects of the winter break but felt that the event helped his team get back to where they want to be.

“We were the lowest ranked team going into the tournament, and we ended up finishing sixth,” Baszler said. “We weren’t that happy with our performance but knew we had made strides in regards to shaking the rust off.”

The Jackrabbits were led by Peterson who shot a 4-over 75 on the first day but fired a 1-under 70 on the second day of the tournament. Peterson’s 3-over 145 for the tournament was good enough for an eighth-place tie. The top-10 finish was the sixth of the season for Peterson, and Baszler had high praise for Peterson’s play.

“Trent is the model of consistency for our team and for all of college golf for that matter,” Baszler said. “The best college golfers in the country are extremely consistent round after round, and that is why Trent is one of the best ranked D-I college golfers in the country.”

Kalil was the next highest finisher for the Jacks at 148 after carding 74s in both rounds. Kalil finished in a tie for 21st.

Vandevoort finished in a tie for 38th place at 151 (74-77), while Jenkins tied for 61st with an overall score of 154 (76-78). Mead rounded out the SDSU golfers tied for 84th at 157 (81-76). In all, 116 golfers competed in the event.

The team competition was won by the Flames of Liberty University who won the event by four strokes, having shot a 6-over 574 (284-290). Liberty’s Robert Karlsson finished at 1-under par (141) with rounds of 70 and 71 to win the individual portion of the event. Liberty also had two golfers – Tobias Pettersson and Richard Schenz-Davis – finish tied for second with even scores of 142.

Campbell University came in second with a 10-over 578 (285-293). There was a large gap between second and third place, as Southern Illinois University placed third at 20-over with a team score of 588 (295-293). The top-five was rounded out by the teams from Temple University (292-300-592) and James Madison University (298-296-594).

SDSU’s next event is the Colorado-Stevinson Ranch Invitational on April 6 to 7 in Stevinson, Calif.