The Hillsdale College men's golf team improved with each round and went under par in the final round, but it wasn't enough to fully overcome a slow start in a 16th place finish in the Saint Leo Invite on Monday and Tuesday at the Lake Jovita Country Club in Dade City, Florida.
The Chargers shot an impressive 287 in the final round on Tuesday, aided by two players posting scores that were well under par. Sophomore Maxwell Burns shot a four-under 68 with six birdies in the final round and freshman Oliver Marshall carded a three-under 69 with five birdies to help Hillsdale make a late charge.
In total, Hillsdale shot 887 for the weekend, with rounds of 301 and 299 on Monday and Tuesday morning to go with that 287.
Marshall was Hillsdale's steadiest player throughout the event, carding a 73-74-69=216 to finish even par for the event and tie for 28th overall, while Burns was close behind with a 75-75-68=218 to finish tied for 36th place.
Freshman Ryan O'Rourke shot a 77-74-75=226 to finish tied for 76th for the Chargers, fellow freshman Robert Thompson carded a 76-76-75=227 to finish tied for 78th, and senior Gerry Jones, Jr. shot a 77-77-79=233 to finish tied for 98th.
The Chargers have nearly a month off to get more practice in before their next event, the Ralph Hargett Memorial on March 18 and 19 at the Rolling Hills Country Club in Monroe, North Carolina. That event kicks off a busy month of competition for Hillsdale with several key events against Midwest Regional competition on tap as the Chargers aim to burnish their resume and increase their odds of a bid to the NCAA DII Super Regional round in May.
Photo by Emma Purdy