From LBSU reports
Playing in their best tournament of the season, Long Beach State finished with a 280 score in Friday’s final round at the 13th Annual Del Walker Intercollegiate Golf Classic at the Virginia Country Club to finish in third place. This was the 49ers highest finish since 2004 when LBSU tied for third with fellow Big West Conference member UC Irvine.
“I’m really proud of the team on how they performed these past two days,” said 49er Head Coach Bill Poutre. “There’s a lot of distractions when you’re hosting a tournament, but the players handled them well and their maturity grew also.”
Colorado State ran away with both team and individual titles as the Rams broke several records at the Del Walker. This was the Rams’ second consecutive Del Walker team championship. The Rams score of 41-under 811 bested the previous mark of of 831 that was set by Lamar in 2005. The Rams’ Zahkai Brown also shattered the previous individual mark of 204 that was set last year by Robert Galletti of Arizona and Dawie VanDer Walt of Lamar in 2005, as Brown recorded a 17-under 196 (66-63-67).
Junior Steve Gibson had his best performance as a 49er as he recorded a six-under 65 in the final round to jump from 29th place to tie for sixth with Zen Brown of Colorado State. Gibson shot six birdies for the day, with four of them coming in consecutively of each other between the fourth and seventh holes. Gibson carded a 72 and 71 on Thursday to finish with a four-under 209.
“Steve is a great ball striker,” said Poutre. “He struggled early in the tournament but came back very strong. He’s a great player and he’s a great addition to the team!”
Sophomore Ricky Montanez fell four spots in the standings to tie for ninth as he recorded five bogey’s in the final round to finish with a two-over 73. Montanez shot a 68 in the first two rounds to finish with a five-under 208.
Junior Michael Drake had his best performance at the Del Walker in his three-year career as a 49er. Drake carded a one-over 214 (71-70-73) for the tournament to finish in a five-way tie for 21st. Last year, Drake tied for 38th with a 218 and in 2006, he finished tied for 43rd with a 221.
Freshmen Kevin Roy and Kevin Lim also tied for 21st as both players shot an even-par 71 on Friday morning. Roy came in with a 71 and 72 on the opening day, while Lim recorded a 72 and 71.
Playing as individuals, freshman Austin Love tied for 15th with a one-under 212 (71-69-72), sophomore Issei Suenaga tied for 33rd with a four-over 217 (75-70-72), freshman Bobby Barajas tied for 61st with a 13-over 226 (74-81-71) and junior Aaron Slonim tied for 68th with a 19-over 232 (80-77-75)
“We have a long ways to go still, but every week the team is getting better,” said Poutre. “Third isn’t first, but we’re feeling better! Happy comes with a win!”
The 49ers return to action on Monday, Oct. 27, as they travel to Simi Valley for the Bill Cullum Invitational hosted by Cal State Northridge.