Duck golf opens by finishing ninth at Husky Invitational
The Ducks and rookie head coach Casey Martin have much to improve upon. In Oregon’s season-opening tournament, the Husky Invitational in Auburn, Wash., the Ducks held steady at ninth-place – the same position they finished the first day – and finished the tournament 32 over par.
The Washington National Golf Course was unkind to an Oregon team that placed first in Auburn last March. With none of the Ducks finishing in the top 20 overall, Oregon’s chances for success in Martin’s coaching debut were slim.
Oregon’s top finisher was senior Jay Snyder, who finished tied for 23rd, shooting 4 over par in the three-round event. Snyder’s 2 over par in the final round was matched by the Ducks’ Landon Banks who ended his tournament in a tie for 46th.
Joey Benedetti finished in a tie for 30th, and placed two strokes behind teammate Snyder. Freshman Marcus Sostak, Martin’s first recruit, shot 3 over par in his final round and scored 11 over par for the invitational.
The UCLA Bruins won the tournament, leading from start to finish. Led by Lucas Lee’s 6 under par score for the tournament, the Bruins won by nine shots over Washington, who shot even par.
The Huskies also posted the best third round, scoring 7 under par. UC Davis and Cal rounded out the top four.
Oregon competes in the Northwest Collegiate Classic Oct. 2 and 3 in Corvallis, Ore.