SWCC men’s golf has big weekend

WAVERLY – The Wartburg Spring Invite couldn’t have gone much better for Southwestern men’s golfer Reinhardt Saunderson.

After completing the first round Saturday with a 73, Saunderson found himself five back shots of the lead.

Sunday, Saunderson set a new school record, shooting a four-under 68 and winning the Invite by two strokes with a final score of 141.

“It was fun. ... He is such a talented player. I knew it was in him and the putter finally got a little hot,” said SWCC head coach Doug North. “He’s playing good golf and I’m kind of excited to see how that keeps going through the spring.”

Saunderson recorded six birdies on the afternoon.

The school’s record-low round was set in the fall of 2018 by Kyle Somers of Creston, who shot a 69.

“This weekend was just a good overall team atmosphere for us,” said North. “It was good for us to gel and post a couple of team scores. Honestly, we played well, but there is so much room for improvement still.”

Oliver Pearson also finished in the top 10, taking home ninth with a score of 146, finishing just two over par for the two rounds.

Jesper Holke-Farnam was tied for 11th after shooting a 149 while Shaun Richards entered the clubhouse with a 154, tying for 24th.

Somers ended the two-day event tied for 27th, putting together a 155.

As a team, the Spartans took third of the 14 teams in attendance with a final total of 586, missing the top spot by just two strokes.

Des Moines Area Community College took home the team title with a 584 while Kirkwood finished in between the Bears and the Spartans with a 585.

Region XI preview

AMES – Southwestern tied for fifth Monday at the ICCAC Region XI Spring Preview in Ames after shooting a 32-over 320 as a collective unit.

Saunderson picked up right where he left off with a two-over 73 to tie for second place at the event.

Holke-Farnam was the next man in the clubhouse for the Spartans with a 78, which tied him for 17th overall.

Richards and Pearson finished within a stroke of each other with an 84 and 85, respectively, as Richards was 32nd and Pearson tied for 33rd.

Patrick Coughlin was the fifth golfer over the afternoon for SWCC, shooting a 93 and tying for 53rd in the Region XI preview.

“Tough conditions and we didn’t play our best,” said North.

It was Kirkwood’s 7-over 295 that locked up the team title Monday.

Overall, the three days in a row have left the right impression on the SWCC head coach and he knows that the best days are still ahead for the Spartans.

“We’re trending in the right direction,” said North. “We’re still battling to get better and that’s the point.”

UP NEXT – The Southwestern men’s golfers head down to Chillicothe, Missouri to take part in the two day NCMC Spring Invitational, starting on Friday.