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Golf team places 7th at Findlay
By Tim Sayers
Collegian Reporter
After having their first two tournaments of
the spring season cut short because of bad weather, the men's
golf team was finally able to play a tournament in its entirety
last weekend. The team traveled to Findlay, Ohio, to compete
in the two-day Findlay Invitational.
Hillsdale finished seventh out of 14 teams,
tying with Tiffin and ending the competition with a score of
629.
Ferris State easily won the tournament with
a total score of 581, beating the second and third place finishers,
Wayne State (604) and Grand Valley State (611), by over 20 and
30 strokes.
"We played really well the first day,"
coach Sam Hargraves said. "After the first day, we had
shot a team score of 305, we were in fifth place and only three
strokes out of second."
"The team is stronger than ever I feel
right now," senior Billy Spratt said. "We have the
talent to play with every team we compete against. It is just
a matter of staying mentally tough and keeping our composure
for both days."
Unfortunately, the Chargers were unable to
sustain their level of play through the second day, shooting
a combined 324, almost 20 strokes more than the previous day.
The team's struggle was caused in part by playing on a longer,
more difficult course.
"On Saturday, we played a different course,
Red Hawk Run," Hargraves said. "It was longer and
seemed to affect us a little bit. We did not play as well the
second day, but overall, it was still a very good showing for
us."
"I think that perhaps the course the
second day did have an edge on us even before we teed up the
ball," Spratt said. "We had heard it was a difficult
course from our competition, but I think we just beat ourselves."
Spratt's team-leading combined score of 156
was good enough to tie him for 33rd overall.
"I felt really good about my play this
weekend," Spratt said. "Every day my game is getting
better, but more importantly, my confidence is growing with
every shot."
Other Charger competitors included freshman
Chris Johnson (157), sophomore Rob Schlitts (158), freshman
Ryan McKendry (158) and freshman Mike Ketelaar (167).
"Our team has eight new freshmen on it,
and they are all very solid players. Only five people get to
play in the tournament each weekend, so it makes it very competitive
during the week," Schlitts said. "All of us as a team
are coming together and starting to gel."
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