Sonoma, CA- As the fall approaches Menlo Men's Golf has officially taken to the course at the  Sonoma State University Invitational. The Oaks would compete against a field of NCAA Division II opponents such as Chico State, Sonoma State, & old GSAC rival Westmont to name a few. After three days of competition Menlo returns home with third place finish and strong individual showings!

Two Oaks in the Top 10

Menlo was led by the duo of Jack Stark and Nicolas-Guy Landry with the pair finishing 6th and 8th respectively. Stark would play his best round on day three of the competition finishing +2 over par. His performance today was instrumental in climbing the leaderboards to his 6th place finish. While Stark was consistent throughout the tournament Landry's clutch play on the final day that would see him skyrocket up the standings. Landry struggled during the second round with a 24th place finish on the day. Yet, he was dialed in during today's final round shooting -1 under par which was tied for the second best performance of day three. Tej Gangavarapu and Paul Hautbourg also put forth strong performances finishing in the top 20 of participants as well.

A Word with Head Coach Mike Givens

With their first match under their belt the Oaks should be encouraged by the overall team effort as well as the standout individual play. Coach Mike Givens had plenty of positive feedback after these past couple of days of play. Givens said: "It was great to see the guys compete well in the first tournament and their scores were a fair reflection of where we are as a program. Each player stepped up and shot well when we needed it. I know the players believe they left some shots on the course but overall the guys played well and they are excited to compete in Southern California next week!" With this being the first real competition for the team there is no doubt some improvements to be had. Regardless, it sounds like the coaching staff is excited for the coming season and the progress the team will undoubtedly make!

Up Next…

The team will have the next few days to rest up and prepare for a quick turnaround. They will be heading down to the Morongo Golf Club in Beaumont, California to participate in the Bulldog Invitational hosted by the University of Redlands. The Oaks are ready to keep the momentum rolling!