CSU men’s golf finishes fifth at Radrick Farms
When the CSU men’s golf team traveled to the Radrick Farms Golf
Course in Ann Arbor, Mich. Thursday, it was faced with the
challenge and excitement of playing in its first tournament of the
2004-2005 season. For sophomore Derrick Whiting, it would be the
first tournament he played at the Division I level.
Although Whiting said he wasn’t nervous going into the
tournament, he did feel pressure to play well, hoping to have a
strong start to the new season and his Division I college career.
However, by the time the tournament ended on Sunday, all previous
emotions were replaced with disappointment.
According to Whiting, the team’s fifth-place finish was well
short of the team’s goal. Prior to the tournament, Whiting’s
teammate, junior Kevin McAlpine, said he believed the team could
win the tournament.
“Every time I step on the course, I want to win,” Whiting said.
“We didn’t play up to expectations.”
After shooting a team score of 590 and finishing tied for
seventh place during the first two rounds on Saturday, the team
shot a final-round score of 290 on Sunday to move up to fifth
place. The team’s final score was 880, nine strokes out of first
place.
The Rams were led by senior John Hayes, who shot two over par
with a final individual score of 218. Hayes’s score was good enough
for a 13th-place individual finish out of 78 total
participants.
Sophomore Aaron Weston finished 18th overall with a final score
of 219, and McAlpine finished the tournament tied for 29th with a
score of 222.
Whiting and junior Nate Pettitt each shot a three-day total of
227 to tie for 54th place.
Keven Fortin-Simard of the University of Memphis finished first
with a final score of 211.
In the team standings, Memphis, University of Wisconsin and
Purdue University all tied for first place, each shooting a team
score of 871.
Although Whiting was disappointed by the team’s fifth place
finish, he said he was impressed with how the team’s performance
improved throughout the tournament. He said he believes the team
will continue to get better throughout the season.
“We got better as the tournament went on, and we can build on
that,” Whiting said. “We’ll get better as the season goes on.”
The team will have three weeks to prepare for its next
tournament, the Tucker Invitational, which will be Oct. 1 and 2 in
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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