PRESCOTT, Ariz. --- Biola Men's Golf shot its lowest team score in program history on Monday as it was even all around with a 288 at the Embry-Riddle Spring Invitational. Biola sits in fourth place overall in a tournament filled with low scores.
The Eagles' previous team-best score was a 291 shot at the Cal State Intercollegiate in 2011. Arizona Christian (-10), Redlands (-5) and the host, Embry-Riddle (-2), were the only teams to finish ahead of Head Coach
Max Allen's squad.
"I was satisfied more with my players' reflection on their performance than their score," said Allen. :They just shot the best round in team history, yet they weren't satisfied. Immediately after finishing they were counting holes where they could have saved a shot. This mentality has been a year long process for us. Before we might have been content with a good round and whatever the shortcomings were. Now we have a 'never settle' approach that pushes us to our best even when we are already doing great. That is what we need to do to win."
Seventy-five was the highest score of the day for Biola as everything finally came together all at once on a sunny, clear day at Antelope Hills Golf Club.
Austin Bishop led the way with a 71,
Kyle McAbee and
Kaden Page added 72s and Sam Shih (73) and
Tristan Ginkel (75) rounded out the team scores.
"
Austin Bishop had a record performance going but it was made bittersweet. After making five birdies, one bogey and sitting on top of the leaderboard he tripled his second to last hole dropping him to -1," said Allen. "Even though it is a good round on paper we hurt for Austin to see it happen. He was doing everything right and to get that result in the end did not do justice how well he played. We still have another round and that triple will be feeding his determination tomorrow to catch the leader."
Eagles fell in between 10
th and 27
th on the overall leaderboard. Arizona Christian's Dominick Postorino is the overall leader at 66.
".We may be in fourth but we will play like number one tomorrow," said Allen.
Biola has a five-stroke lead over the fifth-place team, which gives a solid margin to stay inside of the top half of the leaderboard.
Tournament play will continue Tuesday with the second and final round. The forecast is to be in the high-70s and sunny.
