The University of Redlands men's golf program returned to its classic Bulldog winning ways in 2011, earning a trip back to the NCAA Championships following a year hiatus while collecting several tournament titles and individual awards. After missing the cut for nationals in 2010, the Maroon and Gray rallied for a 10th-place showing at the elite tournament with a focused senior group guiding a rejuvenated group of underclassmen and a talented freshman class.
Starting the season as the No. 16 team in the nation, the Bulldogs teed off the campaign by clinching a second-place finish at the opening Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) 18-hole match at the Redlands Country Club. The crew posted a single-round total of 296 with senior Alex Hedlund (Arlington, WA) leading the charge with a share of the medalist honors on 12 pars and three birdies en route to his impressive score of 71 (35, 36).
In Redlands' second showing, the squad improved the previous week's effort by tallying seven fewer strokes with a score of 288 at the SCIAC 18-hole No. 2 match but settled for its second consecutive second-place finish. Rookie striker Jeremy Sanders (Chatsworth, CA) posted the best score for the Maroon and Gray with a round of 70 (36, 34). Sanders' back-nine performance of 34 tied him for the third-best of the day en route to a fourth-place overall finish.
At UR's next event, the team faced a highly-competitive field that included 17 collegiate programs primarily from Division II, including top-ranked Chico State, No. 7 University of Central Oklahoma and No. 8 Sonoma State University, at the CSUSB Coyote Classic. As a group, the Maroon and Gray led the field in par-three scoring with a 3.30 average and rallied for an overall fifth-place performance. Senior Todd Steller (Poway, CA) headlined the two-day tournament with a top-20 finish at 217 (69, 72, 76). In addition, Hedlund's rolled in a smooth single round of 66 during the final 18 to record the single lowest round by any Redlands player in the history of the program.
One of the major highlights of 2011 came after the Coyote Classic when Redlands was named the No. 1 team in all of Division III. Even without fall competition to bolster their efforts, the Bulldogs' hot start pushed them to the top of the Golfstat poll, which is based on divisional comparative wins.
The Maroon and Gray backed the No. 1 ranking by taking home the top prize at the St. Paddy's Day Classic at East Valley Golf Club. Redlands ousted the field with a three-round performance of 887, which sat 35 strokes ahead of second-place Cal State Dominguez Hills. Once again, rookie swinger Sanders paced the Bulldogs, garnering medalist honors with his two-over par score of 218. He recorded the best round of the field on day two of the tournament, but trailed by two strokes heading into the final 18 before he surged ahead to nab the individual victory.
Returning back to conference action, Redlands collected another second-place finish at the SCIAC 18-hole No. 3 match at Sierra Lakes Golf Club. Steller notched his fourth 72 of the year, pushing the Bulldogs past SCIAC foes Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, Whittier College, Occidental College and Cal Lutheran University.
The following week, Redlands traveled to La Purisima Golf Club for the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen Invitational, where the team settled for an eighth-place mark. While battling through adverse weather and conditions, the Bulldogs shot a combined three-round total of 996 while going up against several conference and regional foes. Redlands placed second in the field in both birdies (18) and par-five scoring (+31), but struggled to piece it all together for a stronger team finish.
Entering the team's final stretch, the group rallied for a team victory at the fourth SCIAC 18-hole match, which took place at the Brookside Golf Club. Each of Redlands' five scorers signed his card with an 80 or better on the way to a solid six-stroke advantage of the second-place Kingsmen of Cal Lutheran University.
Leading the Bulldogs for the third consecutive match, Hedlund continued his hot streak with a season-best, three-round total of 212 (71, 72, 69) at the UCR Braveheart Classic. The senior finished at four-under par en route to his third-place showing against numerous NCAA Division I competitors like Gonzaga University (WA), UC Santa Barbara, and Loyola Marymount University.
Redlands wrapped up the 18-hole matches by suffering its lowest finish of SCIAC competition when it came in fourth at Tierra Rejada Golf Club. The Maroon and Gray shot a 304 overall, landing four strokes ahead of Whittier College but four strokes behind Cal Lutheran University. Highlighting the day, Sanders finished third overall by shooting his best round (71) since the St. Paddy's Tournament while leading the field in par-four scoring at one under as well as rolling in the second-most birdies with five.
With the 36-hold SCIAC Championships approaching, the Bulldogs had a fighting chance to take home the title, but the University of La Verne's top tandem was just too much to handle. UR shot a two-round total of 603, finishing third at the two-round outing at Diamond Valley Golf Club in Hemet. By combining the championship showing with the results from the five 18-hole tournaments, Redlands amassed 38.5 points, which placed them two points ahead of CMS (36.5) and 5.5 points behind first-place La Verne (44) in the final conference standings.
For their efforts throughout conference season, Hedlund, Sanders and Steller each collected All-SCIAC accolades. Hedlund earned his inaugural First-Team selection after collecting two previous Second-Team nods. Sanders notched his inaugural award while also taking home the "Ken Sherman Freshman of the Year" honor.
Due to its strong in-region schedule and tough competition against Division I and II foes, Redlands gained one of 12 at-large bids for the 2011 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC. The Bulldogs headed to the postseason for the ninth time in 11 years.
After the first day of the NCAA Championships, Redlands sat comfortably in a two-way tie for 11th place at 10-over-par with familiar foe, the University of La Verne. Hedlund and Sanders initiated a solid start for the Bulldogs by posting respective rounds at one-over with both swingers notching three birdies and 12 pars during the opening day.
Sliding down one spot to 12th in the field, the Maroon and Gray made the final 15-team cut after the second round by registering a 13-over 301. Sanders continued to shine for the Bulldogs by shooting a sweet 68, which tied for the third-best round of the day. He put together a solid front nine (37), but then caught fire on the back end by ripping off five birdies, including the last four holes.
During day three of the NCAA Championships, UR raked in a solid showing of 297, moving up to a three-way tie for ninth place with Christopher Newport University (VA) and Centre College (KY). Despite competing in his first NCAA tournament, Sanders revealed his talent by signing his scorecard with a 68 for the second consecutive round. His third-round performance topped the field for the day and helped Sanders move into third place on the individual leader board, just behind conference foe Tain Lee of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.
The five Bulldog swingers of Hedlund, Steller, Sanders, senior Ryan Williams (Scottsdale, AZ) and freshman Mike Caston Jr. (Escondido, CA) combined for a score of nine-over-par (297) in the fourth and final round of the NCAA Championships to conclude the Bulldogs' 2011 season with a 10th-place showing (1193). In his final round as a collegiate competitor, Hedlund led the Bulldogs one last time with his even-par score of 72. As steady as they come, Hedlund collected 14 pars throughout the afternoon, placing tied for 16th overall in the tournament. Sanders capped off a terrific rookie campaign by taking fifth overall in the tournament while shooting three-under-par over 72 holes.
For their strong campaigns, Hedlund, Steller and Sanders garnered All-Region honors, while Sanders represented the Bulldogs on the West Region All-Freshmen team. He and Hedlund went on to earn All-America plaudits with Sanders landing on the First Team and his senior teammate collecting a Second-Team nod.
While the team faces the loss of tremendous talent and leadership in Hedlund, Steller, Williams, and senior Tom Sponheim (Redlands, CA), the table is set for the group of returning swingers to keep the Bulldog golf tradition alive in the coming seasons. With Sanders boasting an outstanding rookie campaign that promises to inspire additional success for him and his teammates, Redlands looks forward to an exciting future under the continued tutelage of Head Coach Butch Edge.