Dawgs Men's Golf Struggles in Alabama

Ricky Brackett of the UW Athletic Department just released a great recap of the Husky Men's Golf Team's performance at the Shoal Creek Invitational.  Unfortunately, the Dawgs finished 7th.  The good news is that the men came on strong at the end and put on a day of exceptional golf to keep their final scoring respectable.

Check out the article and note Coach Matt Thurmond's comments about the Bermuda grass.  Enjoy!

Release: 09/29/2015

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Washington got back on track Tuesday at the Shoal Creek Invitational, firing a final round of 2-under 286 to climb to seventh place. The Dawgs round was 12 strokes better than each of the first two rounds as Washington rose three places in the team standings.

"The guys showed some toughness today and had a solid round," said head coach Matt Thurmond. "I respect that."

Host UAB had the best round of the day to get to 13-under for the week and win by 15 strokes. North Florida shot 4-under and finished second, but no other team had a better final round than the Huskies.

Still, the seventh place showing was not what Washington hoped for as one of the top-ranked teams in the field.

"Overall it's a really disappointing tournament," said Thurmond. "We continue to struggle in Bermuda grass in the Southeast. I need to get better at coaching my guys in that stuff."

Washington was led by Jonathan Sanders who had the best round of the day, a 2-under 70 to climb to a tie for 32nd at 7-over for the week. The senior made a pair of birdies to go with no bogeys to help Washington make a charge.

The top overall player for the Dawgs was freshman Carl Yuan who was also under par for the final round. Making his Husky debut, Yuan finished tied for ninth with a round of 1-under 71. Yuan made four birdies and three bogeys on the day to earn a top-10 in his first collegiate start.

"Carl had a great start to his career," said Thurmond. "He's a really solid player and I'm sure this won't be his last good tournament."

Corey Pereira finished just outside the top-25 a week after winning the Husky Invitational, placing tied for 26th with a three-day total of 6-over 222. Pereira was 1-over for his final round, making three birdies to go with two bogeys and a double.

Jordan Lu also played well on Tuesday, shooting even-par 72 to finish tied for 35th at 9-over for the week. Lu led the Dawgs with five birdies on the day, including playing his first nine holes (the back nine) at 2-under with no bogeys.

Kevin Kwon was the final Husky, shooting 2-over 74 for the round that was not kept. For the week, Kwon was 10-over and tied for 43rd.

In addition to the tournament in Alabama, six Huskies competed as individuals at the Itani Quality Homes Invitational at Palouse Ridge hosted by Washington State.

"It was great for the Gold Squad to get some more competitive play to start the fall in Pullman," said assistant coach Michael Wilson who was with the individual players. "These tournaments are a great opportunity to gain more experience and elevate the competitive play of the whole team."

In this tournament, the Dawgs were led by Matt Marrese who tied for fourth at 6-under, finishing with a final round of 4-under 67.

"Matt played a very solid closing round today with five birdies and an eagle," said Wilson. "With Carl finishing on top in Alabama, it's nice to see the two freshmen coming in ready to compete."

Marrese was the only Husky in the top-10 as Tyler Salsbury was the other Dawg under par at 1-under. He tied for 19th, finishing with a final round of 1-under 70. Frank Garberand Spencer Weiss finished at even par and tied for 23rd as Garber struggled to a 5-over 76 on Tuesday after playing his first two rounds at 5-under.

Greg Gildea was tied for 26th at 1-over after finishing with a 1-under 70, while Chris Babcock was tied for 30th at 3-over.

The Huskies will now return to campus for the first day of school on Wednesday, but will be back at it on Sunday, Oct. 4 for a pair of tournaments in Oregon. The top-five players will compete in The Swoosh Invitational hosted by Nike at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, while the rest of the team will compete as individuals at the Northwest Individual in North Plains, Ore.