VENTURA, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's golf opened conference competition in impressive fashion this weekend, finishing second at SCIAC No. 1 at Olivas Links.
Hosting the first of two conference stops leading up to the championships, the Kingsmen turned in rounds of 294 (+6) and 293 (+5) to finish at +11 overall. CLU placed behind No. 14 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (-16) and ahead of No. 28 Pomona-Pitzer (+14), Occidental (+15), Redlands (+18), La Verne (+27) and Chapman (+29).
The Purple & Gold was steady across both days, shaving a stroke off the team total in Sunday's final round to lock in sole possession of second place.
Luke Rimkunas paced the Kingsmen with a tie for eighth at +1. He opened the tournament with a 1-under 71, highlighted by a birdie on the par-4 first, and stayed consistent throughout the weekend to remain near the top of the leaderboard.
Jackson Stitt and
Nick Huffman each tied for 11th at +2 overall. Stitt bounced back from an opening-round 76 to post the team's low round of the weekend, carding a 2-under 70 on Sunday that featured four birdies. Huffman delivered matching rounds of 73, providing a reliable presence in the lineup.
Ty Kuroda finished in a five-way tie for 19th at +7, while
Tate Evans rounded out the scoring group at +9. Competing as individuals,
Dylan Mott placed 13th overall at +4, and
Tsukasa Katsuki was part of the tie for 19th at +7.
With the first conference event complete, the Kingsmen carry solid momentum into the heart of the spring slate. Cal Lutheran returns to action March 9-10 at the FST Pinecrest Invitational in Longview, Texas.
