SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Following seventh place finishes in each of their three spring tournaments, the Santa Clara men's golf team will look to break that trend when they travel to Oregon for the two-day Duck Invitational starting Monday. The 18-team, 88-player event, hosted by the University of Oregon, will be contested on the par-72, 7,165 yard Emerald Valley Golf Club.
Monday will feature 36 holes in a shotgun start format beginning at 8:30 a.m. The Broncos, playing with Gonzaga, Air Force and Idaho, begin play on the 9th through 12th holes. Tuesday's final round of 18 holes will tee off at 8:30 a.m. with start times determined by Monday's results.
Tournament host Oregon is the top ranked competing team at No. 45, according to Golfstat rankings from March 19, while Colorado (52), Oregon State (62) and Minnesota (80) all rank in the top 80. The West Coast Conference is well represented in the tournament field with St. Mary's, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, Gonzaga and Santa Clara all scheduled to compete.
Sophomore Gio Gandionco has been the Broncos top individual finisher in each of the last two tournaments tying for eighth at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate on Feb. 23 and placing 12th at the Fresno State Lexus Classic on Mar. 12.
Senior Scott Lowe and freshman Tyler Kertson are the only Broncos to compete in all 24 rounds in 2013-14. Kertson has a team-best 73.33 stroke average and tops the squad with seven sub-par rounds. Lowe, meanwhile, ranks third on the team with a 73.75 stroke average and has scored at or below par in seven rounds.
Following the Duck Invitational, the Broncos have one more event scheduled before the WCC Championship. Santa Clara will compete in the Wyoming Cowboy Classic on Apr. 7-8 prior to traveling to Bremerton, Wash., for the conference tournament on Apr. 14-16.
Live scoring for the Duck Invitational is available at Golfstat.com or by clicking the live stats link on the Broncos website.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Name: Duck Invitational
Dates (Site): Monday-Tuesday, Mar. 24-25 (Creswell, Ore.)
Host: University of Oregon
Field (16 teams): Air Force Academy (136), Boise State (192), Colorado (52), Gonzaga (164), Idaho (105), Loyola Marymount (123), Minnesota (80), Nevada (99), Oregon (45), Oregon State (62), Pacific (145), San Jose State (120), Santa Clara (94), St. Mary's (90), Utah (183) and Wyoming (176).
Details: 36 holes will be played on Monday (Mar. 24) with a shotgun start beginning at 8:30 a.m. (PDT). A single 18-hole round will be played on Tuesday (Mar. 25) teeing off at 8:30 a.m.
Course: Emerald Valley Golf Course
Yardage / Par: 7,165 yards / Par 72
Course Website: www.emeraldvalleygolf.com
Course Address: 83301 Dale Kuni Rd., Creswell, OR 97426
Course Number: (541) 895-2174
Live Stats: www.golfstat.com
