Erin Hills was a tough test for golfers in the Marquette Intercollegiate over Labor Day weekend.
Marquette golf finished sixth in their home event, shooting +22 as a unit. Junior Max Lyons was the highest-finishing Golden Eagle in a tie for 12th place.
“One thing we talked about is not compounding mistakes, and for the most part, under these conditions, we did that,” Marquette head coach Steve Bailey said. “Overall, we battled under some tough conditions and had good individual performances.”
First round runner-up
Day one of play featured some of Marquette’s best individual performances, including a three-under par score of 69 from graduate student Josh Robinson, tied for the day’s low round.
“I know I’m hitting it pretty well and there are a lot of opportunities out there,” Robinson said Sept. 3 after the first round. “If you if you are playing well, you just have to keep it in the short stuff.”
The team was in second place after the first 18, shooting +1.
Robinson credited the team’s success to their preparation.
“We’ve been practicing hard and are playing consistent and it’s good to see that all the hard work and preparation into our games is paying off on the course,” Robinson said.
On top of Robinson’s round, Lyons shot even and graduate student Bhoom Sima-Aree added a score of +1.
Second day struggles
The second round proved to be the toughest for players due to high winds and tough pins. Amongst the field, there were only five rounds under par.
“There are a few examples where putting lines had to be adjusted because of the gusts, and the wind blew more consistently,” Lyons said. “Where the pins were, the wind made it harder to get to them, so you had to be more focused because they could get away from you fast.”
Marquette graduate student Aidan Lafferty said patience was the key to his low round of 73, one stroke over par.
“It is really easy to let shots get away from you, and you have to be diligent about not making big numbers,” Lafferty said.
Tale of two nines
The final round of the tournament went off two hours earlier than the previous two days of play, and scores reflected the calmer, cooler conditions in the morning.
Marquette started the day on the back and played the front nine in the afternoon.
Sima-Aree shot 73 in his third round, 34 on the back and 39 on the front.
“We started early on the back nine, and the wind hadn’t picked up yet and the greens were fast and smooth, which was a huge advantage for us,” Sima-Aree said.
Next Up
The Golden Eagles will head to Minnesota for the Gopher Invitational at Windsong Farm Golf Club. The event starts Sunday.
“Windsong is a big course and a good test, similar to here,” Bailey said. “It will prove that par is going to be a really good score, and it is a place where I feel it bodes well for us.”
This story was written by Trevor Hilson. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @hilsontrevor.
