But while they played admirably on a monster of a course in NCR South, and they didn’t flinch over 54 holes in two days in frigid conditions — it was sleeting enough to send mailmen home — anything less than first place feels like a failure.
“I don’t think you have a mindset of, ‘Let’s try to go out and play well and see if we can compete.’ We’re trying to build a winning culture,” second-year coach Conner Lash said.
“It’s hard. We’re one of the smaller schools, and we’re trying to beat these bigger schools that have some funding and backing and history and players who have gone to the (PGA) tour.
“But I’d put my team up against any team in the country. We’ve just got to tighten things up going into the winter and see what we can do in the spring.”
Reigning Horizon League Player of the Year Tyler Goecke was the only player under par through 36 holes, going 69-70, but he finished second after a final-round 76 for a 2-over 215 total.
HL tourney champ Mikkel Mathiesen tied for 11th after shooting 72-75-74.
Goecke averaged a glittering 70.47 last season and Mathiesen 71.42. They both broke Ryan Wenzler’s school record of 71.73 from 2016-17.
Returnees Cole Corder and Davis Root were tied for 44th and 55th, respectively, while newcomer Shane Ochs (pronounced Oaks) was tied for 59th.
The top showing for UD, which finished sixth, was a tie for 19th by Ben Cors.
The Raiders ended up with two firsts, a second, a third and a fourth in five fall events, posting a 63-6 record against the combined fields.
In 2021, they were 64-1.
“Last fall came kind of effortless to us, winning four tournaments and finishing second in the other. This year, it didn’t come as easy. We were playing in some better tournaments, but there’s definitely some stuff we have to get better at in the offseason,” Lash said.
The pursuit of excellence through the bag never ends for even players at the highest level, but Lash brought up the team’s mental approach as an area of concern.
He’d like players to do better at “staying in our bubble and controlling things we can control — like our attitude. Staying positive and taking one shot at a time.”
The Raiders qualified for their sixth NCAA regional last spring, and they had legitimate hopes of making the championship round for the first time after being sent to the familiar Ohio State Scarlet Course.
But they had to settle for a program-best tie for ninth.
“I think we’ve been pressing a little bit. I don’t know if it was trying to repeat what we did last year or what. … But that’s only going to help to fuel us through the winter and help us stay motivated.”
Goecke, a Carroll grad, raised his total to five individual titles, while Mathiesen, who was born in Denmark and raised in Qatar, has four.
Root and Corder have one each.
The Raiders are off until a trip to Houston’s event Feb. 13-14. The HL championships are April 23-25 at Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.
While it didn’t come in competition, Root probably had the round of the year during a practice session. He set the course record at Miami Valley Golf Club with an 11-under 60 from the back tees in windy conditions.
“It was blowing 25 or 30 (mph). That was really impressive,” said Lash, who noted how close Root came to a 59.
“He had a little green-side pitch shot for birdie. It hit the back of the cup and bounced out. It had a little speed to it,” he said.
“He’s a great player and has a lot of skill.”
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