MONTICELLO, Minn. – The Yellowjacket men's golf team had a good day Saturday, cracking the top ten in the opening round of the Saint John's Spring Invitational.
After playing in St. Cloud Saturday, play shifted to Monticello, Minn. Sunday, where the teams competed at the par-71 Monticello Country Club. The change in venue worked for the Yellowjackets, as they shaved five strokes off their score from Saturday. Unfortunately, it worked for a few other teams, as well.
The Yellowjackets shot a team score of 313 Sunday, giving them a 59-over par 631 for the two days. Despite the lower scoring round, the Yellowjackets dropped two slots on the leaderboard, placing 11th. The Yellowjacket "B" team entry placed 16th on the weekend, firing a two-day score of 693.
Sunday the Yellowjackets were led by
Blu Anderson (Amery, Wis./Amery). The sophomore shaved four strokes off his score from Saturday, carding a five-over 76. He jumped 12 spots on the leaderboard and finished in a tie for 44th place. Anderson was four over on the front but rallied with a strong back nine, parring eight of the nine holes. He didn't card any birdies on the day and shot 157 for the weekend.
Andrew Rude (Superior, Wis./Superior) also had a strong showing Sunday, finishing one stroke behind Anderson for the day, carding a 77. Rude parred seven holes on the front nine to finish with a 37, then added six more on the back for a 40. Rude jumped up five spots on the leaderboard and finished in a tie with Anderson at No. 44. Rude also shot a 157 for the weekend.
The low round of the day from the Yellowjackets came courtesy of
T.J. Sitek (Superior, Wis./Superior). The Yellowjacket senior was the low shooter for the Yellowjacket "B" entry Saturday with an 82, but was even better Sunday. Sitek carded a 36 on the front, registering birdies on the second and fourth holes. He added another birdie on the back to finish the day with a three-over 74. He climbed 19 spots on the leaderboard and finished the weekend tied for 40th place. He finished the weekend with a 156.
Meet Notes
- Nate Burke (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) had a tough front nine Sunday, carding a 43, but more than made up for it on the back nine. Burke recorded four birdies, including a stretch of three in a row and four in five holes to shoot a one-under 35 on the back. He finished the day with a 78 and the weekend with a 153.
- Matthew Unger (New Richmond, Wis./New Richmond) was consistent Sunday, shooting 41 on both the front and back nines to finish the day with an 11-over 82. Unger had one birdie Sunday. He shot a 21-over 164 over the two days.
- Rounding things out for the Yellowjackets was August Lang (Somerset, Wis./Somerset). Lang followed his 11-over 83 of Saturday with 14-over 85 Sunday.
- Zach Lussier (Brossard, Quebec/College Charles-Lemoyne) had one birdie Sunday, carding a four on the par-five fourth hole. Lussier finished Sunday shooting an 18-over 89, giving him a weekend score of 176.
- Trevor Durfee (Superior, Wis./Superior) stayed consistent from Saturday. He followed Saturday's round of 90 with an identical score Sunday, shooting a 37-over 180.
- Seth Pettingill (Superior, Wis./Superior) was also consistent for the weekend, carding his second straight 92 Sunday. He finished the weekend 41 over.
- Carson Riddle (Ortonville, Mich./Brandon) found the going tough Sunday, carding a 24-over 95 to finish the weekend tied with Pettingill at 41 over.
- Gustavus Adolphus College won the event, finishing the weekend with a team score of 574. The Gusties shot an incredible six-under 278 Sunday to overtake the hosts from Saint John's. The Johnnies finished the weekend two strokes back of Gustavus.
- Tim Fultz of Saint John's was the individual medalist, finishing the weekend with a two-under 141. He was one stroke better than Jimmy Abdo and Christopher Gutuza, both of Gustavus.
The Yellowjackets will be back in action Tuesday when they take on St. Scholastica in a dual meet at Turtleback Golf Course in Rice Lake, Wis.
