Sometimes not even a team's best is enough.
The men's golf team shot its lowest team total of the year this weekend at the Cleveland Golf/ASU Invitational, an eight-under-par 856, but still only managed to finish in eighth place.
Tennessee won the 18-team tournament played at the par-72, 6,840-yard Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. with a tournament record of 23-under par. Tennessee's David Skinns captured medalist honors in a playoff over Clemson's Gregg Jones.
Duke got off to a slow start in the first round, collectively shooting a two-over-par 290 to stand in a tie for 13th-place. The Blue Devils rebounded, however, to fire a six-under-par 282 in round two and move up six spots into a tie for seventh with Augusta State.
"The most positive thing that came out of this week is that we finished the golf tournament," coach Rod Myers. "In the last few tournaments we would put ourselves in position to make a run at a top finish, but then play poorly down the stretch. This week we played great all the way through."
The Blue Devils were led this week by sophomore Mike Castleforte, who shot three strong rounds of 69-71-68--208 to finish at eight-under par and alone in ninth place. The sophomore played solid throughout the event, especially in the second round, when he had 17 pars and one birdie while not feeling very well.
"Mike had a great tournament," Myers said. "He's really coming into his own. This was his type of course because, while he doesn't hit the ball as long as the other guys, he works himself around the course very well."
Senior Brandon LaCroix fired rounds of 72-71-68 to finish in a tie for 17th place. This is the Roanoke, Va. native's best finish of the spring season; his previous best came at the season's first event, the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Golf Championship, where he finished tied for 32nd place.
Duke's best golfer, senior Matt Krauss, fired three mediocre rounds of 73-74-74 to finish in a tie for 52nd place. The Dumfries, Va. native has not been able to recapture the form that made him an All-American a few years ago.
"I keep feeling that Matt is getting closer and closer," Myers said. "I just don't understand why he is not breaking through. It just baffles me."
Junior Leif Olson and sophomore Rob Beasley had a similar pattern of scores with each player shooting a poor first round, then rebounding to shoot a two-under-par 70 in the second, but then struggling in the third. Olson finished in a tie for 65th place, while Beasley tied for 72nd.
This was a disappointing finish for Olson, who came off a 12th-place finish in the team's last event two weeks ago. The Golden, Colo. native had a decent week ball-striking-wise, but had an atrocious time with his short game.
"With Mike and Brandon playing great and getting a few rounds out of Rob, we are suring up the back end of our lineup," Myers said. "Now we just need the front to pull its weight. In the past few weeks, we have shown we can compete with the top teams, but we can't do it without hitting on all cylinders.
With just two tournaments left before the teams for the NCAA Regionals are selected, the Blue Devils currently stand on the bubble. The last district vote had Duke in seventh place in the district with eight being the magic number of teams automatically receiving bids to the Regionals.
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