The No. 22 University of Redlands men's golf team took on chilly weather at The Master's University Spring Invitational on Monday and Tuesday in Santa Clarita.  While competing in 54-holes at the Sand Canyon Country Club, the Bulldogs climbed the team standings each round to finish third with a score of 898 (305-305-288), which was just one stroke off of second place.

Junior Alex Stroes (San Marcos, CA) led the charge with his fourth-place showing on the individual leaderboard with a score of 215.  After the first round, he sat in a tie for 17th at four-over par.  Nonetheless, he steadily moved up with increasingly better rounds that included a career-best score of 67 on the final 18.

Three of the remaining five Bulldogs completed the tournament among the field's top 25.  Sophomore Diego Cortes (Santiago, Chile) tied for 18th with consistent rounds of 78, 75, and 73, while junior Cade Lawson (Lake Oswego, OR) and sophomore Dylan Merchant (Ellsworth, WI) each fired off scores of 217 to tie for 21st.  Lawson took seven strokes off his second round to record a 72 on Tuesday, while Merchant signed his opening-round scorecard with a 73.

In addition, senior George Galanis (Chicago, IL) and sophomore Cameron Cooper (Seattle, WA) landed in a tie for 36th by earning a 54-hole total of 234.  Galanis' best round came on Monday morning with a 75, as Cooper shot a 76 to finish the tournament strong.

Redlands heads to the Las Vegas Desert Classic on Sunday, March 4, through Tuesday, March 6, at the Royal Links Golf Club.