COSTA MESA -- The Vanguard men's golf team completed the Sonoma State Spring Invite today and after three rounds the Lions ended 13th out of the 15 teams in the field. Vanguard had rounds of 318-318-308 to conclude the tournament at +80 and
Alexander Elia had a blistering third round to end tied for 27th to top the VU squad at +11. Naoki Easterday of Chico State and Simon Bjorken of CSU Monterey Bay tied for the individual title at five shots under par and CSUMB won the team trophy at +18.
The Course: Topping out at 7,082 yards, the Sonoma Golf Club is located near the town that bears its name and is situated on rolling hills that give California wine country its beauty. Well-groomed and featuring only a couple of imposing hazards, the course was designed by Sam Whiting in the 1920s. There are challenging elements to the par-72 course despite less imposing lakes and bunkers, with tough pin placements and plenty of trees keeping the participants uncertain of par.
What Happened? Senior
Rex Robinette paced the Blue and Gold on Monday and opened his account with a round of 79. He secured a birdie on the 15th hole and 11 pars, including eight in a row. He then lowered his score by two to end the day, as Robinette made birdies on the second, sixth, 16th, and 18th holes. With eight pars sunk on his second tour of the course, his 77 allowed Robinette to land in a tie for 41st after one day of action.
Paul Howard trailed Robinette by a couple of shots after round one, as Howard posted an initial score of 77. He made 11 pars in a row and 13 overall to start his tournament and he did not lose much over round two, as Howard recorded an 80 to finish the action on Monday with 11 pars on his scorecard to end in a tie for 45th.
Elia matched Robinette on round one with a 79, with Elia knocking down 12 pars to open the event. He made birdies on the second and 16th holes during round two and added in 10 pars to tally a 78 and end tied with Howard in 45th.
Kyle Koski had rounds of 83 and 84 on day one, with eight pars during rounds one and two to help his cause.
Matthew Wilkes had a birdie on the fifth hole and six pars on his first journey of the course to net a 91. But the senior was better during round two as he garnered five pars and welcomed birdies on the third, 13th, and 17th holes to bring his score down by eight for an 83, ending day one tied for 81st.
Tuesday brought the Lions an eagle, as Elia made it down in two shots on the par-four third hole, one of only seven eagles at the event. He also pocketed three birdies (ninth, 12th, and 16th holes) and 11 pars to conclude with a team-best round of 70, two shots under par. Howard brought his event home with a 78, netting birdies on the eighth and 13th holes and harvesting nine pars to conclude the tournament tied for 43rd. Koski's final journey was his best, as he laid down a 79 with birdies on the fifth, eighth, 13th, and 18th holes. With five pars as on his card as well, Koski ended in 76th position. Robinette was in 68th at the end of the tournament and shot an 86 on his final excursion, making a birdie on the 18th and registering nine pars on Tuesday. Wilkes sunk a birdie on the 10th hole and furnished seven pars to tally an 81 on his final round, his best of the tournament, ending in 81st.
What's Next? The men's squad will participate in the 50th Annual Hanny Stanislaus Invitational starting on April 14.
