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Eagles sweep Arizona tournament

Photo by: Henoc Kivuye

 

A high of 100 degrees and a first-place trophy capped off the No. 21-ranked Eagles golf team’s trip to Goodyear, Ariz. this past Monday and Tuesday.

Sophomore Sam Johnston was tied for sixth place on Monday but finished with an individual first-place honor, shooting a 4-under-par 68, and leading the Eagles to their championship-earning team score of 284. The Western New Mexico Fall Collegiate title is the squad’s second team win of the season.

The defending NCCAA national champions, the Eagles finished 13-under 851, five shots better than runner-up and tournament host Western New Mexico University. Senior Alasdair Dalgliesh tied for third place at 6-under with Andrew Kennedy of Colorado Christian University.

“I am pleased with how the tournament went,” Dalgliesh said. “However, I feel like I could have finished stronger than I did.”

According to Head Men’s Golf Coach David Lynn, Dalgliesh’s confidence had begun steadily returning this week.

“I am very pleased with Ali’s performance,” Lynn said. “I think he is getting some confidence back.”

The tournament took place at the 36-hole Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear and had Bermuda grass instead of the typical bent grass greens that Oklahoma Christian’s players are used to, according to senior Johnny Ellis – who was honored by the National Christian College Athletic Association that last Tuesday as the student-athlete of the week.

“It was a beautiful golf course,” Ellis said. “It was also a very tiring and stressful walk. In between each hole you had to walk about 100 yards to the next tee box, so fitness was big this week.”

In the 98-man field, Ellis finished at 219 and tied for 25th place and junior Trey Payne tied for 29th place at 220. Junior Taylor Williams tied for 43rd place at 222.

“Getting our second win out of three tournaments feels good,” Ellis said. “We are all swinging it well at the moment.”

Four of Oklahoma Christian’s Heartland Conference opponents also appeared in the 20-team event. St. Mary’s University placed eighth, Lubbock Christian University tied for 10th place, Newman University finished in 16th place and McMurry University came in 20th place.

“Coach was super proud of the way we played in the second round even though we were all tired,” Ellis said. “36 holes on Monday was brutal, so it took a while to get used to.”

The Eagles opened their fall season with a team win in the Newman Fall Invitational and a third-place team finish in the Ryan Palmer Foundation Invitational. The team appears in the Community First Credit Union Invitational in Ottumwa, Iowa on Oct. 12 and in the Bill Ross Intercollegiate in Overland Park, Kan. on Oct. 15 and 16 before finishing out the fall season at the NCCAA Championships in Panama City Beach, Fla. to defend their 2012 national championship on Oct. 21 to the 23rd.

“I need to improve on my long as I was not quite as consistent as I would have hoped, whereas my short game was great all week,” Dalgliesh said. “I look to use this week to build on some confidence heading into nationals in Florida.”

 

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