Mustangs off to good start at GSAC Golf Championships

TMU Golf had a promising start to the Golden State Athletic Conference Championships on Monday at a very challenging La Purisima G.C. in Lompoc.
 
The men, ranked 21st in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll, are in second place as a squad, just a single stroke behind No. 4 Ottawa University Arizona. The Mustang women are in fourth place out of eight teams.
 
Being a single stroke behind OUAZ is all too familiar for Master's, who finished second in last year's GSAC Championships, one stroke behind the Spirit.
 
The Mustangs hope that history doesn't repeat itself in the team competition, but one piece of the past they would like to happen again is Jack Dudeck's individual GSAC title.
 
TMU's reigning conference champion is in contention once again, sitting in a tie-for-second at one-over after his first-round 73. Dudeck is just two strokes back of the lead, helped by a one-under score on par-three holes.


 
Josh Kehl, one of two players to shoot under par on par-fives, is a further two strokes behind in a tie-for-fourth after shooting a 75.
 
Both Dudeck and Kehl shot three-over on the back nine, which the men teed off from, before breaking par on the front nine.
 
DonDon Bumacod (T-8, 76) is the third Mustang in the top-10, after leading all players with 15 pars on the day. Eric Martin (T-14, 79) was second in the round with 14 pars.

"The guys battled today after a poor start," Master's Head Coach Jacob Hicks said. "We led the field in pars and shot one-under on the closing nine. We need to make a couple adjustments to start tomorrow but we are right where we need to be."
 
For the women, Isabella Huff led TMU with an 85, which has her tied-for-12th. Sierra Pilgrim's first-round 90 has her tied-for-17th.
 
Nicole Southard (T-23, 93) and Faith Ellms (T-26, 94) rounded out the Mustangs' scoring four, which has Master's four strokes ahead of fifth-placed Hope International University and six shots in front of sixth-placed Westmont College.

"The ladies fought hard and are really coming together as a team," Hicks said of his second-year program, which is looking to improve upon its fifth-placed finish a year ago.
 
The tournament resumes Tuesday morning with the women teeing off from hole one at 8 a.m. The men will start their second round from hole 10 beginning at 8:05 a.m.