HILLCREST – The pressure to perform well at a home event got to the Fort Lewis College men’s golf team at the Skyhawk Talon Club/ Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Event No. 1 tournament Tuesday at Hillcrest Golf Club.
FLC shot a 905 across three rounds after finishing Rounds 2 and 3 on Tuesday with a team score of 301 to put the team in ninth place out of nine teams.
“Definitely a disappointment, but they put too much pressure on themselves,” FLC head coach Bud Andersen said.
Team captain Bryan Schlichter led the team in 12th place with a 5-over 218 in the tournament. He shot a 74 in the third round and a 71 in the second.
“Everybody wanted to come out and play well; nerves may have gotten to some of the guys,” Schlichter said. “I’ve played this course for four years; I know what to expect.”
Lucas Laudick shot a 77 in Round 2 and a 75 in Round 3 to finish 32nd at 227.
Durango High School alumni Morgan Miller and Michael Thomas finished at 228 and 232 after shooting 77, 76 and 76, 76 on Tuesday.
“I was hitting it a lot better than my scores are showing,” Miller said. “I have to shore up my short game.”
Pagosa Springs alumnus Clark Reidberger rounded out FLC at 240 after a 78 in Round 2 and an 82 in Round 3.
Steven DaSilva from Regis and Jordan Arndt from Colorado School of Mines tied for medalist at 208, five strokes under par.
Colorado Mines won the tournament with an 846 team score. The Orediggers shot at or under par in every round, defeating second-place Colorado Christian by 19 strokes. Western New Mexico finished third at 869.
The Skyhawks trailed eighth-place Adams State by 11 strokes.
Andersen said his team needs to improve its putting as well as club selection, but he was pleased with the Skyhawks’ attitude.
“We’re still really young. A lot of these guys need more experience in tournaments,” Andersen said. “We have a lot of talent; we just need to get things going on the golf course.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
