UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — The Idaho men's golf team surged into contention with a strong final round Tuesday to earn a runner-up finish at the SeattleU Redhawk Invitational Presented by L.A.B. Golf at the legendary Chambers Bay course on the Puget Sound in Western Washington.
The Vandals posted a 6-under-par 278 in the final round to close at 855 (289-288-278), finishing just four shots behind team champion Abilene Christian (851). UC San Diego, the top team in the field, placed third at 857.
Idaho's final-round charge was fueled by a balanced lineup and multiple under-par performances, highlighted by
Josh McCartain's 5-under 67. McCartain climbed into a tie for sixth place individually at 4-under 212 after rounds of 73-72-67.
Sam Johnson also delivered a strong showing for the Vandals, finishing tied for 11th at 3-under 213 (73-71-69), while
Dalton Dean posted a 1-over 217 to tie for 23rd.
Joe Sykes added a tie for 26th at 218 (+2), and
Henrik Koglin rounded out the scoring at 223 (+7).
Charley Simpson, playing as an individual, finished six-over to tie for 39th.
Idaho positioned itself near the top early with back-to-back rounds under 290 and then made its move on Tuesday, recording one of the lowest team scores of the day to challenge for the title.
"I am very proud of the way our Vandals battled this week at Chambers Bay," head coach
David Nuhn said. "It's a place that's suits us, and our familiarity with a course like this really helps. It was a full team effort all three rounds. Josh played great again this week. Sam was as steady as always. I was impressed following Henrik around as he didn't allow a slow start to prevent him from playing great in rounds two and three. I think we were just a few putts out there away from a really special week. Thanks to Marc (Chandonnet) and Seattle U for hosting a great event at a world class course."
The finish was the third top two finish in the last four years, including the team win 2023 and a runner-up finish in 2024.
Abilene Christian held off the late push behind a tournament-best 271 in the final round. Utah Tech's David Liechty earned medalist honors at 16-under 200. Big Sky teams Sacramento State (seventh) and Eastern Washington (11th) also competed in the tournament.
The Vandals' runner-up finish marks their strongest performances of the spring season, with four players finishing inside the top 30 and all five contributing to a consistent three-round effort on the demanding Chambers Bay layout.
Idaho next plays Boise for the the third Battle for Idaho at Hillcrest Country Club in Boise on April 20-21.
