PHOENIX - Idaho men's golf finished 12th at the GCU Invitational, after shooting a 7-over 291 in the final round Saturday. The Vandals finished 18-over for the 54-hole tournament. Senior Enrique Marin led the way, tying for 11th at 4-under. Marin closed the tournament with a 2-over 73 Saturday, after posting a pair of 68s Friday.

"The conditions were a little more challenging today and the third-round pin placements dictated a little more caution," said head coach David Nuhn. "But it all boiled down to us not being able to make enough putts today. We missed a ton of putts between five and 12 feet.

Sean Langham continued his steady play Saturday, with a 71 in the final round, the best score among Idaho's scoring team. Langham was the Vandals' second scorer in each of Friday's rounds, shooting a 73 and a 70. He finished the tournament at 1-over 214 to tie for 30th.

Idaho freshman Joel Veenstra competed as an individual in the tournament and matched Marin's 4-under performance to tie for 11th. Veenstra fired a 4-under 67 in the final round, the lowest score of his young career and matching the lowest score recorded by a Vandal this season.

"I'm thrilled about Joel's performance this weekend," Nuhn said. "He's a young guy who is just getting going. The more tournament reps we can get him, the better he is going to be."

The 12th-place showing at the GCU Invitational wraps up a busy spring break for the Vandals. Idaho spent a week on the road, first playing at the Bandon Dunes Championship before heading to Phoenix. The entire team was able to travel, including Joseph Glenn making his collegiate debut at the GCU Invitational playing as an individual.

"Tournament reps are what's most important when it comes to growth," Nuhn said. "We got a lot of value out of this tip on the golf course, but also off the course. Being together for spring break and getting to travel as a full roster gave us the chance to grow a lot as a team." 

Idaho returns to action April 1-2, at the Redhawk Invitational in University Place, Wash. The Vandals have two regular-season tournaments remaining before the 2019 Big Sky Championships, April 26-28, near Las Vegas.

"We're getting closer to the golf we need to play in order to win a conference title," Nuhn said. "All signs point to good things ahead."

Team Results
12.            Idaho                    870 (18-over; 295-284-291)

Individual Results
T-11.        Enrique Marin        209 (4-under; 68-68-73)
T-30.        Sean Langham     214 (1-over; 73-70-71)
T-54.        Colt Sherrell          218 (5-over; 77-68-73)
T-101.      Travis Hansen      229 (16-over; 77-78-74)
112.          Klaus Ganter       252 (39-over; 81-84-87)

Competing as Individuals
T-11.        Joel Veenstra       209 (4-under; 73-69-67)
T-66.        Cole Chrisman     220 (7-over; 71-72-77)
T-88.        Joseph Glenn      225 (12-over; 77-71-77)
 

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