If low numbers are always desired in golf, then the 2017-2018 Pacific University men’s golf team has something to be proud of.
With only three more tournaments left, including the Spring Classic this weekend, the golf team is on pace to have the lowest team average in three years. In the 2015-2016 season, the team average was 351, which dropped to 328 the following season. Now with the season coming to a close, this year’s team average is down to 322 with the help of many underclass men.
At the Pacific Invite last fall, the team had a low round of 303, which was the lowest round scored since the 2010-2011 season when veteran Boxer, Max Bonk played for the team. Bonk was a force in the Northwest Conference that season, having seven tournament wins that season with a scoring average of 71.9.
At the Pacific Classic on March 17 and 18, the team finished with a team score of (311-310, 53+) for the 36-hole tournament. Senior, Luke Olson led the men’s golf team shot scores of (74, 75, 7+) finishing in 4th place. That event, the Boxers had career low rounds from sophomore Braden Ash (78, 79, +15) and senior Max Kirkendall (79, 84, +21).
Other players have as well have helped round out this team talented team. Freshman Zach Rodriguez is second on the team behind Olson (78.1) in scoring average with 80 and transfer junior Mitchell Cummins is not far behind, with an average of 81.3. Cummins had a career low on the first day of the Pacific Invite last fall which was a big contribution to the team’s lowest round in years. He would shoot a one-over-par 72.
“I believe the drop in scoring comes from more competition between the players and players beginning to have a better understanding of how they can score,” 18-year head coach Richard Warren said.
Warren believes the improvements from year to year are mainly coming from players becoming better at their course management and patience. Warrens expectations for the team each year are that they continue to grow and work hard to continue cutting strokes by good course management and learning from the past.
Leave a Reply