LIVERMORE, Calif. — The Montana State Billings men's golf team finished in fourth place as a team following two days of play in the Nighthawk Invitational at Poppy Ridge Golf Course, with two golfers placing in the top 10 overall.
The event, hosted by fellow Great Northwest Athletic Conference program Northwest Nazarene, saw the Yellowjackets emerge as the highest-placing GNAC school in a 12-team field that also featured two Nighthawks groups and Saint Martin's.
MSUB as a whole shot a 606 total across the event's two rounds Monday and Tuesday, closing at 15 strokes behind team champion Holy Names (California). The Jackets' combined second-round score of 300 was the third-lowest of Tuesday play.
Junior Carson Garner fired a 149 (74-75) total to end the event in solo possession of ninth overall, while Laurel alum Paul O'Neil finished with a 150 to be right behind his teammate in a tie for 10th place.
The Jackets' scorers were rounded out by Big Timber grad Blake Finn (154, tied-22nd), senior Dawson Strobel and junior Kevin Kolb (both 156, tied-30th). Cal State East Bay's Ryan Hong won the individual title with a 143 (73-70), defeating Holy Names' Edvin Backstrom after a playoff hole.
MSUB will take a three-week break before returning to competition at the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational, a three-round event at Turlock Country Club in Turlock, California, on March 27 and 28.
