Under the direction of first-year Head Coach Butch Edge, the 2010 Redlands men's golf team posted solid results throughout the season, culminating in a strong finish at the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) 36-hole Championships. Although the team missed the cut for the NCAA Championships for only the second time in the last ten years, the Bulldogs competed at a level that garnered an impressive national ranking as high as No. 8, according to the Golf World/Nike NCAA Division III Coaches Top-25 Poll.
Even though Edge entered his inaugural year at the helm of his alma mater's program, he certainly came in as a familiar face, having worked with the Bulldogs as an assistant coach during the previous three seasons. With this congruent leadership, the men's golf team faced minimal distraction by this seemingly challenging adjustment and quickly picked up right where it left off in 2009.
The Maroon and Gray opened the season by teeing off at the Cal State San Marcos Invitational in early February, finishing fourth out of 12 teams, which primarily included Division II and NAIA institutions. Senior Ross Canavan (Redlands, CA) led the Bulldogs with a 12th-place performance, carding scores of 73, 71 and 78 to finish at six-over-par. In addition, Canavan paced the field in pars with 39 on the event.
Just over a week later, Redlands posted a second-place score of 303 at the first SCIAC 18-hole tournament. Junior Ray Biggerstaff (Newport Beach, CA) uncorked a 73 for two-over-par at Sierra La Verne Golf Course, tying for second place while leading the Bulldog golfers.
On February 25, the Maroon and Gray hosted the second SCIAC tournament of the season at the East Valley Golf Course in Beaumont. The squad fell one stroke short of winning the event, settling for second place behind Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges. Biggerstaff provided another team-leading performance with a fifth-place showing of 74 while tallying the most pars on the afternoon with 14 out of a possible 18.
Competing as the only non-Division II school, Redlands finished 15th at the Cal State San Bernardino Coyote Classic with a three-round total of 898 (301-303-294) on March 1-2. Canavan tied his career round-low since joining the Bulldog program with a score of 68 in the third outing, culminating in a total of 214 (73-73-68) on the event to finish in a tie for 18th place.
On March 7, the Maroon and Gray captured its first victory of the season when it shot a five-over 293 at Los Serranos North Golf Course in Chino Hills during the SCIAC 18-hole No. 3 Tournament. Canavan shot a blistering round of 69 to tie for medalist honors. This also marked the team's first road conference victory since the SCIAC 18-hole No. 5 on April 20, 2006, at Sterling Hills Golf Club in Camarillo.
Ten days later, the Bulldogs teed off at the Redlands Invitational with a third-place showing behind the University of La Verne and the University of Puget Sound (WA). Junior Alex Hedlund (Arlington, WA) and junior Tom Sponheim (Redlands, CA) tied for sixth by leading the team with their rounds of 77.
Eager to improve upon this finish, the Bulldogs quickly rebounded by winning their own St. Paddy's Day Invitational on the subsequent two days. Competing on both courses at East Valley, the team shot a 595 to sit an amazing 33 strokes ahead of the runners-up from Puget Sound. Canavan continued to impress with another sub-70 round during the opening 18 holes of the event. He finished at minus-one to garner medalist honors for the Bulldogs. Hedlund also performed well by firing off rounds of 74 and 72 to place second in the individual standings.
During the Cal Lu Kingsmen Invitational, Redlands bolstered its in-region résumé when it took second out of 15 with a three-day score of 933 at La Purisma Golf Course in Lompoc. The Bulldogs plowed past Northwest Conference contender Linfield College (OR) as well as four schools from Texas. Canavan landed on the All-Tournament Team by taking third individually with rounds of 75, 77, and 76.
In early April, the Bulldogs returned to SCIAC action with the fourth 18-hole event of the season. They unleashed a round of 302 at Industry Hills Golf Course to finish second for the third time in conference competition this year. In addition to Canavan's fourth-place round of 72, the Maroon and Gray looked to Sponheim to provide an impressive score of 76, tying for eighth overall.
Ten days later, Redlands faced off against regional rival Chapman University in a non-conference bout at Tustin Ranch Golf Club. With a team score of 310, the Bulldogs prevailed over the Panthers by eight strokes. Hedlund claimed medalist honors with a 74, while Canavan followed closely behind with a 76.
On April 18, the Bulldogs finished fourth in the final SCIAC 18-hole event with a score of 315. With the disappointing result, Redlands dropped into a tie for second place in the conference standings and faced a must-win situation at the SCIAC 36-hole Championship Tournament.
With the possibility of winning the program's 25th conference title, the Bulldogs certainly brought their best game to the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Members' Club in Murrieta on April 26. Despite Biggerstaff's team-leading, two-round score of four-under-par 140, Redlands sat two strokes off the lead following La Verne's eight-over-par performance of 586 (289-297). Individually, Canavan came in seventh (146) and Hedlund took eighth (148) at the championship event, but Redlands' solid score of 588 (293-295), combined with the results of the five SCIAC 18-hole events, was not enough to steal the championship away from the Leopards.
For their efforts throughout the SCIAC season, Biggerstaff and Canavan boasted All-SCIAC First-Team laurels, while Hedlund landed on the Second Team.
In addition, Canavan and Hedlund earned NCAA Division III PING All-West Region honors for their strong performances during the 2010 campaign.
Hedlund, Sponheim, and senior Nick Giordano (San Diego, CA) were named Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars for their achievements on the golf course and in the classroom.
Despite the steady stream of individual honors, the team now waited for the NCAA's announcement about any postseason possibilities for the Bulldogs. With only three at-large bids available in all of Division III, Redlands' hopes were very slim. Unfortunately, the men's golf team missed the cut for the 2010 NCAA Championships.
However, due to his stellar season in which he averaged 74.06 per round, Canavan gained the opportunity to compete as one of five individuals. Nonetheless, he made an early exit from the tournament with an uncharacteristically high, two-round total of 154 (76-78) during cold and rainy conditions in Hershey, PA.
While the team must say goodbye to the talents and contributions of Canavan, Giordano, and senior Brent Conley (La Quinta, CA), the Bulldogs boast a hearty crew of contenders in its returnees, particularly among the junior class. During a season of seamless transition with a new yet familiar head coach, the Bulldogs clearly performed well while setting the stage for the future of Redlands men's golf, as it vies to recapture the coveted SCIAC crown en route to a return trip to the NCAA Championships during the 2011 campaign.