The landslide that was the men's golf team's spring season stopped in Mulberry, Fla. over the weekend, as Duke recorded a season-high fourth-place finish at the Matlock Collegiate Classic.
The competition was a major turn-around from the Blue Devils' last-place finish in Puerto Rico on Feb. 24 in their season opener.
"We were pleased with the results," coach Rod Myers said. "We got off to a slow start in Puerto Rico, which is probably an understatement. We took positive steps that we need to take."
Playing through winds approaching 20 to 30 miles per hour at times, sophomore Kyle Elfers and senior captain Chris Schmid led the Blue Devils. Both recorded a one-over-par 217 and tied for 11th place overall.
Elfers, who established himself as a team leader during the fall season after spending most of last year on crutches, continued to pace Duke.
"I was happy," Elfers said. "I played a little bit above average. I played steady, and I felt I kept with it mentally."
Marc Chatelain finished in 35th place overall with a score of 221, followed by Mike Christenson and Paul Tucker, who tied for 40th with a 222.
With an 871 (288-293-290) three-day score, Duke placed fourth out of 18 teams, beating Furman, Virginia Commonwealth, Georgia Southern, Wofford and Virginia Tech, all of whom are currently ranked ahead of Duke in its region.
Augusta State was the only team in District III North to beat Duke, surviving a 299 on the final day of competition to finish at 863, eight strokes better than the Blue Devils. The Jaguars are tied for first place in the region with Clemson and North Carolina.
When the new rankings come out in two weeks, the Blue Devils should rise from the No. 15 spot with which they entered the spring. Rankings in the region are important because the top eight make the NCAA Tournament.
"Our goal is to get invited back to the NCAA Championships," Myers said. "We need a strong spring, and this is an important step for us."
As a team, Duke was consistent throughout the competition, finishing each of the three rounds in fourth place.
The Blue Devils' next competition is the USC-Aiken Palmetto Classic on Mar. 16-17 in Aiken, S.C.
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