Boise State men’s golf kicked off its fall slate this past weekend, placing 11th in the 12-team Island Resort Classic tournament in Michigan Sept. 6-7.
The Broncos shot 874 (+10) as a team, posting rounds of 296-287-291 in the 54-hole tournament.
The team edged out VCU by two strokes, with Michigan winning the tournament by a 25-stroke margin over West Virginia.
Despite the less-than-ideal finish for the team, multiple Broncos put up promising performances, a testament to the team’s depth and potential moving forward.
Junior Trevor Garus, making his Boise State debut, led the way for the Broncos on the scorecard, firing a 209 (-7) and placing seventh, the first top-10 finish of his collegiate career.
The UCLA transfer and Boise native shot par or better on 48 holes en route to recording his personal best for lowest 54-hole tournament score.
“Being in a new environment was a great opportunity for me,” Garus said of his Bronco debut. “I’m really comfortable and have a lot of confidence from my teammates and my coach… My approach game was really sharp and that was definitely my strength for the week.”
Chase Gorder finished the event just outside the top 25, shooting a 216 (E) and tying for 27th place.
Gorder, a redshirt junior, was one of just 13 golfers to record an eagle in the two-day tournament.
The Arizona native noted the team’s persistence despite the difficult finish.
“The first day was a bit of a battle with a slow start, but [we] just kept fighting,” Gorder said. “It was definitely a grind, but we did a pretty good job of staying in it… The putter wasn’t good until the last round, but tee to green was pretty solid.”
Senior Dylan Rodgers also made his Boise State debut alongside Garus.
Rodgers, a Treasure Valley product who went to Meridian High School, played the first three years of his college career at Bellevue University in Nebraska.
At Bellevue, Rodgers earned first team All-Frontier Conference honors, and was twice named the conference’s “Champion of Character.”
“He’s continually gotten better, and he’s not afraid to put pressure on the golf course and chase down competition,” head coach David Trainor said after Rodgers’ signing. “He’s going to be a major asset to our team this year.”
The Island Resort Classic also marked freshman Justin Anderson’s collegiate debut.
Rodgers and Anderson shot 231 (+15) and 225 (+9), respectively.
Additionally, Reese Knox and Luke Cushman both shot 10-over, tying for 69th.
Despite the disappointing finish for the team, Garus’ confidence in the team’s ability hasn’t wavered.
“I think the main part of that is just energy,” Garus said when asked which areas the team needs to improve on. “I know golf-wise, we’re going to be fine. We’ve got a lot of good guys and our whole team cares. Everybody is frustrated but hungry from the result, so I know we’re going to outwork it and be fine in the long run.”
Boise State will compete in the CDA National Reserve Invitational in Coeur d’Alene, a two-day tournament set to begin Monday, Sept. 21.
