After a tough opening round, the University of the Fraser Valley men’s golf team bounced back for a solid finish at the Bandon Crossings Tournament in Oregon.
The Cascades placed fourth overall at the event, hosted by Southwestern Oregon Community College. After opening with a combined score of 316 in Sunday’s first round, they trimmed eight strokes off their total on Monday – the second-best team performance of the day.
Spokane Community College won in decisive fashion, posting a two-day total of 595 (+12) to outdistance Olympic College (+34), tourney host Southwest Oregon (+42) and UFV (+48).
Connor McLellan (T9, +11) led the way for the Cascades men, followed by Aaron Pauls (11th, +12), Taylor Callens (T12, +13), Zach Olson (21st, +16), Connor O’Dell (T22, +18) and Cody Stewart (35th, +27).
“I was pleased with how the guys bounced back,” said UFV golf coach Chris Bertram, noting that Callens really stepped up on Day 2 with a two-over 74. “It wasn’t our best outing, for sure. We struggled a little bit with some tough windy conditions and didn’t play our best. But there were some pretty good signs that we’re close, and we’ve just got to tighten up a few things before the Golf Canada event.”
The Bandon Crossings tourney was the last competition for the Cascades prior to the Golf Canada University/College Championship, which runs May 26-29 at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont.
The Cascades had one female golfer in the field at Bandon Crossings. Hannah Dirksen turned in a solid opening round of 82 and was tied for third place, but ended up in fifth after carding a 91 on Monday.
“She’s a rookie, and she played well,” Bertram said of Dirksen. “A fifth-place finish down here is pretty good.”
Other major events on the horizon for the Cascades golf program include their annual fundraising pro-am, which runs June 15, and the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) PING Golf National Championships, Oct. 13-16. Both events will be held at Chilliwack Golf Club.
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