As new talent rose to the occasion, the University of Redlands men's golf team fired off a solid campaign that included a winning performance at the ERAU Spring Invite, a final national ranking of 24th, and a second-place result at the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships. Under second-year Head Coach Fred Hanover, the Maroon and Gray improved its season average to 76.64 while utilizing seven underclassmen and two juniors consistently among the scoring lineup.
The Bulldogs began the fall portion of the 2016-17 season with high praise from the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) which placed them as the No. 16 team in the preseason poll.
Redlands' first competitive challenge took place in early October at the Sonoma State Invitational on the Foxtail Golf Course in Rohnert Park. Freshman Carter Tillotson (Kenmore, WA) tied for 18th with the Bulldogs' lowest overall score of 223 (71-74-78). He completed the 54 holes with 10 birdies to rank second on the squad behind individual competitor junior Joseph Kuehn (Eugene, OR), who paced the team with 13 birdies. Kuehn enjoyed a stellar first round by shooting a 67 en route to his three-round total of 230 to finish in a tie for 32nd overall.
Two weeks later, Redlands headed to the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Fall Classic. The Bulldogs faced high-caliber opponents at the challenging Vista Valley Country Club, where sophomore Alex Stroes (San Marcos, CA) paced the Maroon and Gray with his 54-hole score of 227 (73-76-78) to tie for 17th place overall.
Redlands returned to San Marcos in early February to kick off the spring season at the CSUSM Fujikara Invitational at Shadowridge Country Club. Leading the Maroon and Gray, freshman Dylan Merchant (Ellsworth, WI) uncorked consistent rounds of 78-76-77 to finish tied for 24th in the individual standings. Tillotson topped the charts for all competitors in par-three scoring by notching an average of 2.50.
The U of R men's golf jumped into Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena. After a less-than-stellar first day, the Bulldogs orchestrated a 13-stroke improvement to tie for fifth at the end of day two. Stroes led the team by entering the clubhouse with a 151 over the two rounds to tie for 15th in the individual standings. He impressed on day two by shaving off five strokes from his opening round for a one-over-par 73. With incredible consistency between them, freshman Cameron Cooper (Seattle, WA), junior George Galanis (Glencoe, IL), and sophomore Rowan Foxley (Arlington, WA) all tied for 18th to conclude the weekend with a 36-hole tally of 152.
After a tough outing against top-notch competition at the 21st Annual Del Walker Intercollegiate, the Bulldogs shined at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Spring Invite in Prescott, AZ, with a first-place finish among the likes of Arizona Christian University, Biola University, and various other NAIA competitors. The team provided steady and strong results each round, with sophomore Cade Lawson (Lake Oswego, OR) and Stroes each notching a two-day score of 142 to tie for sixth in the individual standings. Lawson recorded rounds of 72 and 70, while Stroes posted the same totals but on opposite days. After putting together a field-best 69 in the opening round, Galanis signed his 36-hole scorecard with a 143 (69-74) to finish tied-for-ninth.
With momentum and confidence on their side, the Bulldogs faced off against tough competition at the West Cup at the Sierra La Verne Country Club. While setting the tone with their solid opening round, the Bulldogs finished fifth among 16 teams by earning a 54-hole score of 915 (296-311-308). Lawson and Foxley each tied for first among the field in par-three scoring, while Galanis registered 36 pars at the tournament for an impressive effort.
Next up, Redlands looked to make up some ground in the conference race with a solid showing at the SCIAC No. 2 among the picturesque setting at Oak Quarry Golf Course in Riverside. With precision and skill, Merchant earned medalist honors by signing his scorecard with a 144 that included day two's lowest round of 70. The Bulldogs finished second as a team by posting a 36-hole score of 597 (303-294).
With the aggregate scoring through four SCIAC rounds, the Maroon and Gray sat third in the SCIAC standings with a total of 1,204 strokes.
Two weeks later, Redlands squared off in the final three rounds of the regular season during the SCIAC Championship Tournament at Los Serranos Golf Course in Chino Hills. With consistency throughout the lineup, the Bulldogs fired off a solid 295 to open the competition in a tie for first with the No. 22-ranked University of La Verne. During the first 18 holes, Stroes and Cooper led the Maroon and Gray by each earning a 73 to tie for fourth in the individual standings.
After shooting a 299 for a two-day total of 594, Redlands sat in a tie for second in the team standings with one round to go.
The Maroon and Gray put together its best round of the 54-hole competition to secure second place in the regular-season finale. With a day-three tally of 288, the Bulldogs finished the tournament with a score of 882, which was seven strokes better than third-place La Verne.
Individually, Stroes battled out of the bunker on 18 to post a final round of 70 for third place in the overall standings, just one stroke behind a tie for first. He finished the tournament at plus-one 217 by shooting 73 and 74 on the first two days. Stroes led the field in par-three scoring with a minus-one average of 2.92 while also notching the most pars among the 47 golfers with 39 during the 54 holes.
Galanis fired off the best round of the day at 69 to move into a tie for ninth place with a final tally of 222 (75-78-69).
Foxley repeated his opening-round score of 74 to conclude the competition in a tie for 16th at 226 (74-78-74). He led the field on the par-four holes by notching a plus-one average of 4.03.
Cooper also tied for 16th in the final standings with a 226 (73-76-77) that included 11 birdies in an impressive performance. He finished among the best golfers in par-five scoring with a minus-three average of 4.75.
After the conclusion of the SCIAC Championship Tournament, the Bulldogs re-entered the GCAA's top 25 with a final national ranking of 24th but just missed out on an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships.
Furthermore, Stroes collected his second-consecutive All-SCIAC First-Team award with a conference scoring average of 74.14. Foxley landed on the All-SCIAC Second Team after shooting 75.00 in seven conference rounds this season.
Although the team fell short of some of its annual goals, the Bulldogs made great strides to a return to the top of the conference and beyond with incredible and youthful talent. While competing among the talented SCIAC, the squad hold high hopes for a roster that is primed to return all contenders, now equipped with irrefutable experience that bodes well for a lucrative future.