This past weekend, the Whitman men’s golf team headed to Pacific University to compete in the Boxer Classic golf tournament.
Following a third-place finish in the Quail Ridge Invite one week prior, the team looked to bounce back with a strong showing. Whitman finished third as an overall team, scoring at the six-team Boxer Classic with a two-day, 36-hold score of 609. Corban University and Linfield College shared top honors for the tournament, carding identical final scores of 599.
First-year Evan Dyar led the Missionaries in the first round, shooting a 73 on the first day, finishing just one stroke over par.
Senior captain Geoff Burks followed Dyar closely with a 74 in the first round, overcoming a triple bogie on the 10th hole to finish the day two strokes above par.
“His game is in great shape and his confidence is growing every day,” said head coach Peter McClure of Burks, who entered the tournament coming off of a team-leading 74 at Quail Ridge.
Sophomore Scott Martin and first-year Daniel Hoffman each finished the day with a score of 79, persevering through inconsistent first rounds. First-year Connor Hood “struggled to find his game,” according to Coach McClure, rounding out the day with a 91, but looked to Sunday to prove himself.
Martin was Whitman’s most consistent player for most of last season and will be looking to build upon an All-NWC first-team performance.
Dyar continued to shine in Sunday’s round, shooting a 73 en route to a second-place tournament finish. Dyar’s performance impressed McClure, who believes “it won’t be long until he wins a tournament.”
Burks came out driving the ball well, but struggles with his short game led to a disappointing 77 on Sunday.
“Nothing was going in,” Burks said in reference to his putts.
Hoffman had his best round as a collegiate on Sunday, ending the afternoon with a 76, showing his coach that he “continues to improve” as he adjusts to college-level golf.
Hood bounced back from his first round by shaving off nine strokes for an 82 on the next day.
“He is growing more accustomed to playing at this level,” said McClure, noticing the adjustments the first-year made in just his second collegiate tournament.
Martin rounded out Whitman’s team with a 78, conceding that he “made a couple of mistakes that pushed [his] score up.” Martin remains optimistic and, sharing the sentiment of his teammates, “can’t wait to get out to Wine Valley this weekend” to build upon the Boxer Classic.
Next weekend’s Whitman Invitational will be the team’s only hosted tournament of the year. The tournament will take place at the Wine Valley Golf Course, where Whitman hopes to build upon back-to-back third-place finishes at the Quail Ridge and Pacific Invitationals. After next weekend, the fall season will consist of only two more tournaments, one being the Northwest Conference Fall Classic held Oct. 27 and 28 in Ridgefield, Wash.
