As a team we need to clean up our rounds. A 3-putt here or a ball out of bounds there turned good rounds into very average rounds. We've been just a few shots off each week. – Chris Curran, UVU golf coach
EAGLE, Idaho — The Utah Valley University men's golf team concluded the Dash Thomas Memorial tournament Tuesday, finishing in a tie for sixth after a final day team score of 292. Junior Brayden Eriksen led UVU, placing sixth on the leaderboard to earn his second top-five finish in three tournaments this season.
The Wolverines entered the final day at BanBury Golf Course in fifth place but dropped to sixth over the last 18 holes after posting their highest team score of the week. With a 54-hole total of 871, Utah Valley tied with Southern Utah and was four shots back of fifth-place Utah State.
"As a team we need to clean up our rounds," head coach Chris Curran said. "A 3-putt here or a ball out of bounds there turned good rounds into very average rounds. We've been just a few shots off each week."
Sacramento State (851) held onto its 36-hole lead to claim the Memorial by 12 strokes over second-place Idaho (863). Cal State Fullerton and Seattle tied for third at 865. Finishing behind the Wolverines were Stetson and Grand Canyon — each recording an 873 — in a tie for eighth while Concordia (883) and Weber State (887) were 10th and 11th, respectively. Host Boise State (893) rounded out the field in 12th.
Eriksen (68-72-71) was UVU's top finisher at 2-under and closed the tournament in a five-way tie for fifth. In each of the Wolverines' three tournaments thus far, the junior has led the team in scoring including a second place finish at the season opening Battle in the Tetons. Eriksen had entered the day tied for seventh place.
"Brayden had a very nice week once again," Curran said. "With each week he is gaining confidence and I think he will break through for his first win very soon."
Preston Richards (76-69-75) and Corey Eccles (72-77-71) each placed in a tie for 22nd. For Richards, it was his third consecutive top-30 finish after placing 10th in the Tetons and 30th at the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate two weeks ago.
Michael Dart (72-79-75) finished in 45th, and Noah Cook (78-73-78) tied for 50th.
Utah State's Tanner Higham (71-67-67) was the Memorial's individual winner, beating out Fullerton's Mark Anguiano (70-70-66) by a stroke.
Utah Valley will now have two weeks to prepare for its next competition — the Utah Invitational hosted by the University of Utah. Contested in Park City, the tournament will be contested over 54 holes on Oct. 7-8.
Kellen Hiser is an assistant sports information director at Utah Valley University. For more information on Wolverine athletics, visit WolverineGreen.com.