WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- It was a banner day for the University of North Dakota men's golf team at the Zach Johnson Invitational, hosted by Drake, on Tuesday from Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa.
The Fighting Hawks put together a special pair of days, finishing first out of nine teams with a team score of 853 (+1) to capture the team title for the event. The team score sets a new program record for a 54-hole event, besting the previous mark by a whopping 10 strokes, while also giving UND its first win at a multi-team event since Sept. 2008 at Augustana when the program was transitioning to Division I.
UND was strong throughout all three rounds, sitting as one of only two teams to shoot in the 280's over each round. NoDak also had the best 18-hole score of the tournament, firing a 281 (-3) during the middle round to surge to the top of the leaderboard and never relinquished the lead.
The Hawks also had a strong grip on the individual side of things, with three golfers finishing among the top-7 finishers to lead all competitors. Freshman
Carver Larson led the way with his best performance of his young collegiate career, finishing tied for fourth with a 211 (-2). The rookie was neck-and-neck for the individual crown throughout the entire event, shooting a pair of 69's (-2) over the opening two rounds before finishing with a 73 (+2) to card his first top-5 finish of his career.
Carson Skarperud was right behind his teammate, dropping seven strokes off his previous career best to place sixth with a 212 (-1). The Red River product was also consistent throughout the tournament, opening with a 72 (+1) before closing out with back-to-back 70's (-1) to match his career-low for an 18-hole event and just miss his second top-5 finish of his career.
Landon Miller rounded out the top-10 finishers for the Hawks, surging to a career-best 213 (E) to place seventh. The freshman opened with a 74 (+3) before recording his first under-par round of 70 (-1) over the middle 18 and closing out with a 69 (-2) in the final round to surge into the top-10.
Nathan Peyerl just missed a top-10 finish of his own, placing tied for 12th with a 217 (+4) after a pair of 72's (+1) and a 73 (+2) over the 54 holes.
Joseph Kortan rounded out the team scoring for UND, sitting 28th with a 222 (+9) while
Kagan Kollar competed as an individual and placed tied for 29th with a 223 (+10).
North Dakota will return back home for a dual with North Dakota State beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 1 in Fargo before closing on Thursday, Oct. 2 at the Grand Forks Country Club.
For more information on North Dakota men's golf, follow on social media @UNDmgolf or visit FightingHawks.com.
