Weber State University’s men’s golf team launched their fall tournament campaign at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational at the Eisenhower Golf Club. Over the course of the tournament, the Wildcats secured a tie for 8th place out of 24 teams, finishing at 10-over par (874). Colorado State clinched the title, carding a final round of 13-under par (851), marking their second consecutive victory in this event.
Here’s a breakdown of the tournament days:
Day one
The Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, hosted by the Air Force Academy from Sept. 10-12, featured 24 teams competing on the challenging Blue Course, The Eisenhower Blue Course is a 7,541-yard, par 72 layout.
Weber State was represented by seniors Isaac Buerger, Hayden Banz, Brendan Thomas, Oliver Gothe and sophomore Ty Anderson. On the first day, the Wildcats finished with an 11-over par (299), placing them in a tie for 13th out of 24 teams.
Thomas emerged as the top scorer for the Wildcats, posting an impressive 3-under par (69), placing himself fourth after 18 holes on day one. Thomas secured three straight birdies to open the back nine and he added a fourth birdie on hole 16 to get to 3-under. Anderson shot 75 on day one and was tied for 46th, Banz shot 76 and is tied for 58th. Buerger shot 79 and is tied for 98th, and Oliver Gothe shot 81 and is tied for 111th.
Day two
On the tournament’s second day, the Weber State men’s golf team showcased improvement, carding a 1-over par (289). This upward surge in performance lifted them three places in the standings to the 10th after 36 holes.
Banz led the Wildcats on the second day with a stellar 3-under par (69), jumping and impressive 36 spots on the leaderboard and sits at a tie for 22nd place. Banz had a total of three birdies in the second round and added a double eagle on a 568-yard, par 5 (hole 11).
Thomas continued his consistent performance by following his opening round (69) with a 2-under par (70) in the second round, maintaining his fourth place standing on the leaderboard. Thomas replicated his first day with four birdies in the second round, affirming his leadership within the team.
Anderson, Buerger and Gothe each shot 3-over par (75) on the second day. This was Anderson’s second straight 3-over par (75) in the tournament and has him tied for 61st place. Buerger’s 3-over par (75) moved him up into a tie for 93rd, while Gothe moved up into a tie for 106th with one round remaining.
Day three
The Wildcats concluded the tournament on a high note, shooting a collective 2-under par (286) on the final day.
Thomas remained Weber’s standout performer, finishing 5th overall with rounds of 69, 70 and 72 for a 5-under par (211). Thomas added two more birdies to his tally, accumulating a total of 10 birdies throughout the tournament.
Banz finished the tournament with rounds of 76, 69 and 72 for a 1-over par (217), placing him in a tie for 24th place. In the final round, Banz showcased exceptional skill by sinking an 8-iron on the 168-yard par 3 for a hole-in-one.
Buerger closed the tournament with a remarkable 5-under par (67) in the last round, highlighted by six birdies, securing a tie for 47th place.
Anderson consistently carded 75 in all three for the Wildcats to tie for 70th at (225), Gothe shot a total of (234) to tie for 109th place.
Overall, the Weber State men’s golf team displayed commendable performances in this early-season tournament, setting the stage for their upcoming competitions.
