The SSU men’s golf team marched into opponent territory last week and competed in the Chico State Wildcat Classic, held at Peachtree Golf & Country Club. Another NCAA Regional preview tournament presented the Seawolves with an opportunity to put their games to the test in competition format.

The Seawolves placed third overall out of 11 other teams. The 5 man group of golfers combined for team scores of 282 in round 1, 275 in round 2 and 284 in round 3. Paving the way for the Seawolves was senior Griffin Pace who finished in first place individually recording a tournament score of 13-under-par 205 and capturing his first collegiate victory.

On Oct. 10, Pace kicked off the first day of play shooting a pair of tournament low rounds of six-under-par 66. The following day on the final round of the tournament Pace shot one-over-par 73 strong enough to fend off the field’s competitors. He recorded a season high 16 birdies over the course of the 54-hole tournament resulting in his best career finish.

Pace shared his thoughts on his win last week, “Honestly it just feels really good to finally get the job done. I felt more relaxed on the course than I have in the past, and I kind of just kept the pedal down both rounds and didn’t let up.”

Within distance of Pace was fellow teammate Colin Huang. The freshman would continue his strong crusade recording back to back top five finishes and landing in a tie for fourth at nine-under-par 207. Huang complimented Paces’ score in the second round with a six-under-par 66 of his own. “Colin is an overall great guy to be around, and an even better player. His attitude on the course separates himself from the crowd.” said teammate Pace about Huang.

Sonoma State fell short two strokes to the tournament winners Chico State and one stroke to runner-ups Simon-Fraser. Head Coach, Valentine Verhunce expressed some thoughts on his team’s performance, “I was excited for Griffin as this is a long time coming. The team played well but left too many opportunities out on the course for us to win this event.” Updated rankings following last week’s tournament leaves SSU ranked No. 25 in the nation for NCAA division two golf. 

Peach Tree Golf Club located in Marysville, CA plays as a par-72 and length of 6898 yards. The tournament was formatted where rounds one and two were played on Monday, leaving the final round to be played on Tuesday.

It was apparent that the conditions were more favorable on Monday than they were on Tuesday, presenting the field with a more scorable track in the first two rounds. Pace elaborated on the difference in play between the two days, “ The course on Monday was set up great, thick rough, tight fairways and fast but receptive greens. It was premium for scoring if the players found the fairways off the tees. Tuesday the greens firmed up a bit and it became more difficult to access certain hole locations. Very tough second day.”

The SSU men’s golf team is currently competing this week in the Otter Invitational hosted by Cal State Monterey Bay. The team will put their game to the test at Bayonet Golf Course, a track steeped in rich tradition and that has played host to PGA Tour events in the past.