The Vandals played their third tournament this week hosted by South Dakota State. After strong play from all athletes, Idaho finished third overall at the Prairie club in Valentine, Nebraska.
Idaho carded low scores all around during the first round with three athletes sitting in the top 25.
Senior Enrique Marin was tied for sixth individually with a one-under 71. He carded five birdies in the first round.
He was followed closely by senior Klaus Ganter who shot a one-over 73.
Junior Sean Langham was right behind them carding a two-over 74 for the day and freshman Colt Sherrell carded a four-over 76.
Idaho finished the first day sitting in fifth place overall with a six-over 294 team score just 13 strokes off UCF the leading team and just one stroke from taking fourth.
During the second round, it was Langham who carded Idaho’s low score at a one-under 71. He shot nine consecutive pars on the front nine and three birdies on the back. He finished the day tied for 12th place individually. Marin shot par and finished the day tied for eighth place individually at one-under 143.
Ganter shot a three-over 75 which moved him out of the top 25. Sherrell rebounded from a 76 on the previous day to an even par on day two moving him from being tied for 36 to tying with his teammate at 27th.
With Idaho’s low score of 290 in the second round and a 584 overall, the team overtook Missouri State and Missouri and now sit in third place.
They are going to have to hit well in the final round to keep Missouri (585) and Missouri State (586) from overtaking them.
The Vandals played hard in the last round, scoring another 290 overall and tying for third place overall.
Idaho finished with all four of their scoring golfers in the top 25 and its fifth golfer, sophomore Adam Veenstra improving each day. Veenstra started the tournament a little slow, carding a 12-over 84 in the first round but finished strong with a five-over 77 in the second and a three-over 75 in the third. Veenstra finished tied for 58th individually, shooting 20 over.
Sherrell shot a three-under 69 in the final round making him Idaho’s low scorer for the tournament. He tied for 12th place individually carding a one-over 217 (76-72-69).
“I’m super impressed with Colt’s last 27 holes,” Idaho Head Coach David Nuhn said in a news release. “He was seven-over par through 27 and six-under on his last 27.”
Langham finished tied for 16th individually carding a two-over 74 on the last day and a three-over 219 (74-71-74) overall.
Marin’s final round was his lowest of the tournament carding a five-over 77. He finished tied with his teammate Ganter for 20th place individually with a four-over 220 (71-72-77). Ganter shot his low round with an even 72 to finish out the tournament.
Idaho posted consistent scores throughout the tournament with a 76-75-75. The team finished with a ten-over 290 as a team which kept them in third place even though Missouri – Kansas City shot an impressive 283 for the final round to bring them up to third place as well.
The Vandals will be back at it again playing in the Bill Cullum Invitational on Oct. 15 and 16.
Connor Swerseycan be reached at [email protected]