Equipped with a new national ranking of seventh, the University of Redlands men's golf team fired off rounds of 299 and 291 to win the Las Vegas Desert Classic at the Paiute Golf Club.   The Bulldogs gained a tournament-best score of 67 from senior Bobby Holden (Simi Valley, CA) on day two of the event, which helped propel the team from its opening-round position of fourth to first in the final standings.  In addition, Holden signed his scorecard with a 36-hole tally of 143 (76-67) to take medalist honors at the competition that included multiple NCAA Division II schools.

After shooting a 76 on Sunday, Holden trimmed off nine strokes during the final round on Monday.  Overall, he converted 26 pars and six birdies over the two-day tournament.  He also ranked third among the field with a par-four score of 3.95 for minus one.

Redlands also gained solid performances from junior John McCord (Oakland, CA), who tied for ninth in the individual standings with his score of 147 (72-75).  He knocked in eight birdies to tie for first among the competition.

Senior Anthony Estes (San Pedro, CA) provided a 36-hole total of 150. After recording a 78 to open the tournament, he fired off a 72, moving him from 41st in the standings to tied-for-17th.  He shot even on the par-three holes to rank third at the event.

Junior Ryan Turner (Ventura, CA) and freshman Jake Ryan (Portland, OR) registered solid scores of 151 and 156, respectively, with Turner impressing with his opening round of 74.

Redlands looks forward to competing in the West Cup on Sunday, March22, and Monday, March 23, at nearby Tukwet Canyon Golf Course.