Through two rounds at the Midwest Regional in St. Louis, Missouri, it looked like the golf course at Fox Run had gotten the better of the Hillsdale College men's golf team.
The Chargers had posted scores of 310 and 314, by far their two worst rounds of the season, and sat in sixth place entering the final round on Tuesday afternoon.
But Hillsdale kept battling and caught fire at exactly the right time, shooting a five-under 283 in the final round that was the best 18-hole score any of the 18 teams in attendance posted in any of the three rounds of the tournament.
That helped the Chargers rise from sixth to second in the final standings, finishing eight strokes behind champion Indianapolis with a total of 907, and just a stroke ahead of third-place Maryville.
The runner-up finish continues a hot start for Hillsdale, which took third in its first two invitationals of the year at the Doc Spragg Fall Invitational and Kyle Ryman Memorial Invite. It's the first time since the Chargers rebooted their men's golf team in 2014 that Hillsdale has finished third or better as a team in three consecutive invitationals.
Leading the way for the Chargers for the third straight invite was senior George Roberts. Roberts, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference scoring average leader entering the event on Monday, looked like he had finally come back to earth in the first two rounds, posting his two worst scores of the season (76-80).
But the Hampshire, England native tamed the trecherous Fox Run course on Tuesday afternoon, shooting a five-under 67 that included five birdies and an eagle on the Par-5 13th hole to take seventh place overall and finish at 223 for the invitational.
Roberts' final putt proved to be crucial, as he knocked in a clutch birdie on the Par-4 18th hole to break a tie with Maryville and clinch runner-up honors for his team.
The seventh-place finish gives Roberts three straight top-10 finishes to start the season. It's been a magical run so far for the fifth-year senior, who has been an important part of the Charger lineup for several seasons but had never recorded a top-10 finish individually before this fall.
In a tournament where no player had a good-looking scorecard, all three of Hillsdale's other scoring golfers battled through difficult rounds to post top 20 finishes and help the Chargers accomplish their team goals.
Sophomore Josh Davenport also finished in the top 10 for Hillsdale, overcoming an opening round 81 with a one-under 71 in the second round and a 74 in the final round to finish tied for ninth (226).
Senior Ryan Zetwick (78-82-70-230) and freshman Gerry Jones, Jr. (76-82-72-230) each tied for 18th overall, saving their best round for last and helping the Chargers secure second place.
Junior Logan Anuszkiewicz shot an 80-81-79-240 as well to round out the Charger lineup and finish in the top half of the field, tied for 39th place.
The strong result on Tuesday has big implications for the rest of the season, as it gives Hillsdale College head-to-head victories over many of the best teams in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
In three invitationals so far, only two regional opponents have finished ahead of the Chargers in the standings -- GLVC member Indianapolis, and G-MAC rival Findlay. Those results put Hillsdale in good position to qualify for the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional in the spring, and compete for the Chargers' first ever NCAA Division II National Championship appearance.
Hillsdale wraps up the fall season at the Music City Fall Invitational hosted by Trevecca Nazarene on Oct. 26-27, at Hermitage Golf Club. The invitational will be another chance for the Chargers to compete with G-MAC and Midwest Region rivals ahead of championship meets in the spring.