Shattered record, bright beginnings.
The Colorado State men’s golf team made a statement in their season opener at the Ram Masters Invitational. The Rams finished with 22 strokes under par at the Fort Collins Country Club, surpassing the previous record of 17 strokes under par. From dealing with shoddy weather to breaking a long-standing record, newly anointed coach Jack Kennedy and the CSU team established an early positive trajectory.
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The team win also came with individual success, with sophomore Jake Rodgers securing second place individually in the competition and senior Christoph Bleier finished three strokes under par. For the first and only home-tournament of the season, their performances greatly exceeded expectations.
“You always want to win your first home event,” Bleier said. “It’s fun. Everyone’s out watching, all the supporters are out watching. Secondly, we have home-course advantage — we want to win.”
Athletes from the CSU women’s golf team showed up to support the men on the second day along with Ram fans and other members from CSU Athletics. CSU supporters came together as volunteers to make the event possible, allowing golfers to focus on the game at hand. The sense of community and spirit were present for the Ram Masters.
In addition to the boost from supporters, the men’s golf team seemed reinvigorated. CSU lost the same tournament a year ago, but managed redemption in their first competition with Kennedy After having three coaches in four years, the Rams may have found themselves a good one in their new head coach.
“Jake and Christoph are incredible,” Kennedy said. “It’s kind of a built-in camaraderie, because we’re all learning on the fly. Just excited to keep it rolling.”
Kennedy’s influence has already made an impact on the players. CSU’s golf team focused on improving through weights conditioning, individual practice and competitive team practices. The Rams came prepared for a two-day tournament, as their last round also ranked No. 1 in tournament history, with CSU shooting 13 strokes under par.
Rodgers showed his drive to win with an incredible albatross in the third round, hitting a 7-iron from 225 yards out on a par-5. Along with his strong showing, three other CSU golfers placed in the top 10 individually, contributing to the overall victory.
“Jake’s albatross (was) a historic start to the day,” Kennedy said. “The guys really stayed tough mentally and battled, and played really good golf the last four or five holes. That’s when winning happens. When you play good golf in those moments — good things tend to happen.”
With a young roster, the season is off to a promising start. The success at the Ram Masters isn’t just about a single victory — it’s about building confidence for a long year ahead.
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“It’s good for my confidence,” Rodgers said. “Everything I’ve been working on, especially my putting, it feels like it’s coming together. This tournament showed me that all the hard work is paying off.”
CSU will look to build on this tournament, with a new team and an important win under its belt. Now, it’s just a matter of focusing and keeping that winning mindset for future endeavors.
The Rams have little time to hone their skills before competing at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational in Colorado Springs in three days. There, their goal will be the same as this past week’s: try to play well and give themselves a chance down the stretch.
“We found out we’re really mentally tough, first and foremost,” Kennedy said. “Secondly, we’re really talented. You put those two things together, and you can be really good in this sport.”
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.
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