The men's golf team was back in action for the first tournament of the spring season at the Dick Wittcoff University of South Florida Invitational, in Tampa, Fla. over the weekend.

"Our goal going into the tournament was to be competitive from the start and we reached that goal," head coach Tim Grogan said. "In the second round we straight up beat USF on their home course which was a huge positive from the event."

The team managed to finish in 12th place in the event on the par-71 course. Jacksonville State won the tournament with a score of 875 in three rounds of play.

The Golden Eagles wound up with a score of 927. Florida Southern College finished in second place, 14 shots behind the winners.

"We had to get the rust off in some point," Grogan said. "We got to throw ourselves out there and compete. Coming out competitive from the beginning was a huge challenge."

Junior golfer Nathan Colson led the Golden Eagles' individual effort as he finished in a tie for 15th. Colson posted a solid score of 224, 11 over par. Freshman Michael Bielawski finished with a score of 232. He had an incredible eagle on the 377-yard No.17 in the final round.

"Nathan Colson took the challenge and proved that he can come out and play right away," Grogan said. "Last year he came out and played poorly in the fall. I am happy with the way Mike was able to adjust to play in the spring."

The improvement was evident in the team's first competitive play of the season. It is different scenery to go from constant indoor practice to going into battle.

Over the winter, the team practiced and worked on the little things that sometimes get overlooked in golf.

Bielawski credits coach Grogan for the improvements he has seen in his game as a result of the practice put forward.

"I've seen a lot of improvements in my game, especially the short game," Bielawski said. "In the tournament I felt that it was just a tempo issue. There is a lot of timing involved in golf and the layoff from competition had an effect. It's a big challenge playing the southern schools that have not missed a beat."

Medalist honors were won by South Florida's Oscar Fraustro, who ended one over par with a score of 214. Christian Ries of Columbus State finished in second place one shot behind Fraustro.

The Golden Eagles will continue to work to improve as they get ready for their next tournament over spring break.

"We are looking forward to the spring break trip because this is where I can work on the teaching of the swing more effectively," Grogan said. "We can hit a couple hundred golf balls then play which we look forward to."

The spirit and the enthusiasm are evident from the team regarding the upcoming tournament.

"I'm personally looking forward to spring break to get the chance to pound our rivals UW-Madison," Bielawski said. "They are our rivals and we can't wait to play them."

The men's golf team returns to action March 13 to 14 at the Big Red Classic in Ocala, Fla.