The Simon Fraser University men’s golf team earned the No. 3 seeding into the NCAA Division II regional championship on Monday.
The Clan won its first Great Northwest conference golf title, setting tournament records for low 54-hole score and largest margin of victory at the eighth annual men’s championships at the Coeur d’Alene Resort course last week.
Bret Thompson edged teammate Chris Crisologo by a single stroke for the individual title, carding a one-under-par 70 on the 6,803-yard course after shooting rounds of 68 and 67 on opening day.
Crisologo had the tournament’s best round, firing a five-under 66 to finish at 206.
Both golfers easily broke the tournament record for lowest score of 212 set by Craig Crawford of Western Washington in 2012.
Two other SFU golfers – John Mlikotic and defending champion Kevin Vigna – finished third and fourth, respectively.
Thompson led the tournament with 16 birdies, while Crisologo and Mlikotic had 14 apiece. Crisologo and Vigna also carded eagles in championship play.
SFU finished first with a team score of 837 with rounds of 277, 281 and 279.
Western Washington, which won six consecutive team titles from 2008 to 2013 was in second place 37 shots back.
The previous largest margin of victory was 28 shots by Western Washington in 2010.
The Clan men’s golf team was named the Great Northwest team of the week.
The regional championships will be a three-day, 54-hole tournament at the Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in California.
A total of 108 student-athletes from the West and South Central regions will compete for an opportunity to advance to the NCAA II national championships on May 18 to 22 at the Rock Barn Golf and Spa in Conover, North Carolina.
The Clan men are ranked 10th nationally.
SFU will send its four top finishers from the Great Northwest championships to the region finals, as well as sophomore Alan Tolusso of Burnaby, who did not compete at last week’s championships.
Thompson, Vigna and Mlikotic helped the Clan finish sixth at the 2014 regionals in SFU’s first-ever appearance at the tournament.
The Clan went on to finish 17th at the nationals last year.
