Bryan Cole / The Collegian
Bulldogs finished ahead of multiple Top 25 teams, junior Todd Angel finished second overall individually
Heading into the final day of the Lexus Golf Classic, Fresno State head coach Mike Watney said that if the Bulldogs won, “I’d get to say, ‘Guys this is what we’ve been practicing for, and you did it in front of the home crowd, and that’s fantastic!’â€Â
He nearly got his wish.
The Fresno State golf team came in second place in the tournament it hosted at Belmont Country Club, losing only to Washington. UC Davis̢۪ Ramie Sprinkling won the individual championship, with Fresno State̢۪s Todd Angel coming in second.
A drastic change in weather caused havoc in the opening rounds. High winds and cold temperatures marred play, affecting all the teams involved.
“It was very cold and very windy and it made the golf course difficult, quite different than all our practice rounds. The last two weeks have been real nice, and then all of the sudden it’s freezing cold with a very chilly, 15 MPH wind,â€Â Watney said.
“It’s the same for everybody, no complaints there, it’s just different,â€Â Watney said.
The Bulldogs didn̢۪t struggle with the weather at first, shooting a four-person total of 290 in Monday̢۪s first round to take the team lead.
Fresno falls behind after first round
However, Washington shot a tournament-best 285, three under par, in the second round to take the over the top spot. The Huskies never looked back and won the team championship by five strokes.
Bryan Cole / The Collegian
Fresno State also led the individual competition after the first round, with Todd Angel shooting a 69.
“Todd had a great day,â€Â Watney said. “He stepped up, and that’s what good players do.â€Â
The Bulldogs slipped in the second and third rounds, moving from first to a tie for third. Todd Angel also slipped to third individually.
But Fresno State bounced back in the final round, shooting eight strokes below par to guarantee second place.
Mike Watney knew his team had a shot at winning the tournament entering the final day.
“There are several very good teams up there near the top. Whoever has a real hot day will win. We have as good a chance as anybody,â€Â Angel said.
‘Dogs beat nationally ranked teams
While the Bulldogs had the best final round of all teams, they weren̢۪t quite hot enough to overtake the Huskies.
They didn̢۪t catch Washington, but the team did finish ahead of No. 24 UC Davis, No. 38 San Diego State, and No. 9 Arizona State. Fresno State is not nationally ranked. Washington is ranked No. 14.
All of Fresno State̢۪s players moved up the leader board in the final round. Todd Angel shot two under to move from third to second, Michael Gideon moved from 37th to 15th, and Bhavik Patel shot a 70 to move from 68th to 38th.
Grant Doverspike, who won Western Athletic Conference player of the week after hitting a double eagle last week, improved from 27th to 20th.
The team̢۪s next tournament is the Western Intercollegiate, starting Mar. 29 in Santa Cruz.