James Corbett
jamescorbett.md@gmail.com
The Cal Poly men’s and women’s golf teams hosted the fifth annual Firestone Invitational at Monarch Dunes Golf Club in Nipomo, Calif. on Oct. 8-9.
The men’s team posted its second-best, four-person 18-hole total in program history, and the women’s team came out on top in the 54-hole event.
Eleven men’s teams and eight women’s teams competed in the tournament, with Cal Poly represented by two separate squads in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
The women’s team hit the ground running in its first tournament of the year, seizing the lead after the first round of play, despite some difficult playing conditions.
“It was really windy, that made things a little tougher,” junior Asia Adell said. “You definitely have to adjust, like just judging what club to use, the windier it gets the more club you have to take.”
Freshman Drew Thomas, in her first collegiate golfing event, led the women’s team to victory. Thomas shot rounds of 74, 73 and 74, just shy of the school record by one stroke with a total of 221.
But their success could not be attributed to the weather. Head coach Scott Cartwright felt the wind made conditions on the first day more challenging.
“It was like spring winds out here,” Cartwright said. “We battled a lot of debris on the greens so that kind of slowed us down, but we actually played pretty decent.”
The Mustangs generally play at Monarch Dunes Golf Club about once a week, however the home turf didn’t necessarily provide a significant advantage.
“It helps,” Cartwright said. “But I’ve got the golf course set up a little differently because of the winds. We’re playing some holes different from what we’ve played before, but knowing the greens certainly helps.”
After completing the first round of play on Monday, the men’s team claimed fifth place on the 6,759-yard course, making an improvement after finishing 13th out of 15 teams at the Saint Mary’s Invitational two weeks ago.
“We’re still trying to find some magic,” Cartwright said. “We’re struggling a little a bit, so we’re trying to find who’s ready to compete. Hopefully by the next tournament in two weeks we’ve got it figured out.”
They figured it out earlier than expected.
The men’s golf team rebounded Tuesday morning with a 285 score in the second round and a 274 in the afternoon round.
Senior Grant Martens shot a 68 in his second round, and freshman Camden Price contributed with a score of 69 to help Cal Poly climb from fifth place to second, entering the concluding round of play. The Mustangs battled leader Cal State Fullerton as Martens shot a 67, freshman Cole Nygren included a 68, Justin Haley finished with a 69, and Price tallied a 70 in the third round.
With an 847 total score, the men’s team was able to claim first place.
Women’s golf challenged in the Wyoming Desert Cowgirl Intercollegiate
The Cal Poly women’s golf team took a step back from its first place victory when the team competed in the two-day, 54-hole Wyoming Desert Cowgirl Intercollegiate at The Classic Club/Troon Golf Course and finished in 11th place in the tournament.
Junior Asia Adell led the Mustangs on Saturday when she shot a 78 and a 72 and drew 15th place with a 150 total score. Cal Poly was 13th among 19 teams competing in the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate after the opening two rounds of play.
Kirsten Locke tied for 38th place in the first round of play with a total score of 157, while Drew Thomas shot 82 both rounds and drew for 77th.
As a team total through the day, the Mustangs earned a 317 in the morning round and 316 in the afternoon round. Fresno State led the pack with a 580 total score.
On Sunday, freshman Madison Hirsch helped the Mustangs jump two positions in the final tally, producing a score of 75. Taylor Yoshitake shot a 77, Adell shot a 78, Thomas carded a 79 and Locke carded an 80. The Mustangs shot a total score of 309, as Cal Poly earned the seventh-best round of all 19 schools competing in the invitational.
In total, Adell ended the competition in a tie for 21st place with a 228 total. Locke tied for 45th, shooting a 237, and Hirsch tied for 55th place, finishing with a 240. Thomas hit a 243 while he tied for 69th place, and Yoshitake drew for 79th place, scoring a 245.
Fresno State emerged victorious in the tournament by hitting 21-over-par (885 total), a school record. The College of Charleston (898) followed, as well as Cal State Fullerton (899). In the 54 holes played, Cal Poly earned a total of 942.
After their 12th place tie in the Cal Poly Invitational, the women’s team looks forward to the Folino State Invitational on Feb. 17.
Next on the horizon for the men’s team, after their 12th place finish in the Bill Cullum Invitational, is the Pat Hicks Invitational on Feb. 11.
Jefferson P. Nolan contributed to this article.
These articles were published on and Oct. 10, 2012 and Oct. 16, 2012.