MADISON, Ill. – A year ago, the Idaho men's golf team won the SIUE Derek Dolenc Invitational with a three-round score of 865. This week at the Gateway Golf Links in the St. Louis Metro Area, the Vandals improved on that score by 13 strokes, finishing with a final score of 852, but the Vandals finished ninth overall.
"The conditions were great, no wind and teams really took advantage," head coach
David Nuhn said. "We're doing a lot of the right things to do get the job done, 50 birdies should be enough to be competitive, but we made too many mistakes as a group and counteracted the positive things that were happening."
Leading the way for the Vandals was sophomore
Sam Johnson, finishing fifth overall, his second top-10 finish in three tournaments this season. He scored in the 60s in all three rounds, going 68, 69, 67 to finish nine-under 204 for the tournament.
"He is just a machine, hit, putt, hit, putt. One of these tournaments he is going to win," Nuhn said. "He is more comfortable with college golf and he is committed to playing well. He isn't trying to overcommit himself. He leans into his strengths and keeps it simple. He limits his mistakes to bogeys instead of triples and doubles and when he starts making putts, he starts putting in birdies."
Johannes Hounsgaard finished one-over 213, highlighted by a second-round 69, to finish tied for 28th at the tournament.
Matt McGann was three-over 216 to finish tied for 42nd.
Dalton Dean finished 10-over for the tournament and
Joe Sykes finished at 12-over for the weekend.
The Vandals have two weeks off before traveling to play the Oregon State Invitational at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis, Ore., on Oct. 9-10.
Three tournaments into the fall, Nuhn is optimistic about the play of the Vandals so far and sees opportunity to make improvements with small adjustments.
"Some of the guys need to tighten things up and keep the ball in play," Nuhn said. "We need to ensure ourselves an opportunity to make birdie when we are at scoring distances instead struggling to make pars."
