ELK RIVER, Minn.  – The odds were not necessarily in the Luther College men's golf team's favor over the weekend. Not only were the Norse facing steep competition at the Gustavus Twin Cities Classic over the weekend, they were also facing terrible golf conditions. Wind and blinding sun threatened Luther with its worst team performance of the 2022-23 fall season, but the Norse prevailed for yet another top-3 finish in their final tournament of September. After a rough second day on the course, Luther shot the second lowest round as a team Monday afternoon, closing the three-day tournament in a tie for third place with a three-round score of 927 (+63). Jay Fjelstul (Decorah, Iowa / Decorah) was the highest individual finisher for the Norse, as he earned a third palace finish with a three-day score of 222 (+6)

DAY ONE RECAP
Luther didn't necessarily have a bad day on Saturday. The Norse simply didn't have as good a day as the rest of the field. As a team, Luther shot 305 on the opening day of the Gustavus Twin Cities Classic, led by Mark Devlin's (Cookstown, Northern Ireland / Cookstown) low round 73. Fjelstul, Hogan Reuter (Farmington, Minn. / Farmington), Chris O'Brien (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan) and Peter Stiner (Colorado Springs, Colo. / St. Mary's) all shot in the 70s as well, allowing the Norse to remain within striking distance of the leaders. As individual competitors, Stiner and O'Brien shot 75 and 77 respectively, while Reuter's 77 counted toward the team's overall score. 

Brandon Dorans (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Barrington) and Haakon Rustad (Northfield, Minn. / Northfield) struggled, by their standards, with the short course Saturday afternoon, as both shot in the low 80s. Rustad shot an opening round 81, while Dorans shot 82 on the first day of competition, allowing the Norse to finish in the tie for sixth with an opening round score of 305. 

DAY TWO RECAP
Wind proved to be Luther's biggest hurdle on the second day of the Gustavus Twin Cities Classic, as high powered gusts threatened at every shot. The Norse, though, weren't the only team who struggled, as they shot the fourth-lowest score as a team Sunday afternoon, rising from sixth to fifth on the leaderboard. Fjelstul shot a 75 in the blustery conditions, while Rustad dropped three strokes from Saturday to Sunday, shooting a 78 on the second day of competition. O'Brien also shot in the 70s, closing the day with a 79 on the course.

Stiner and Devlin shot matching 80s on the second day of competition, while Reuter shot a second-round 82. Dorans shot 83 on Sunday as well. After combining the top-4 scores of Fjelstul, Dorans, Reuter, Rustad and Devlin, Luther shot 315 to enter the third and final day of competition with a two-round score of 620.

DAY THREE RECAP
The Norse looked more like themselves Monday morning and afternoon, as they rose two spots in the team leaderboard to conclude the three-day tournament in a tie for third place. Luther shot the second-lowest round on the course Monday, turning in a third round score of 307 to conclude the tournament at +63 (927). 

Rustad posted the best individual score Monday afternoon. After shooting 81 on Saturday, the sophomore dropped nine total strokes from his day one to day three score, as he shot a low-72 on the third and final day of competition. The performance allowed Rustad to finish in 16th place with a three-day score of 231. 

Fjelstul rose into the top-3 on the final day of competition, as he shot 73 on Monday to close the tournament with a  three-day score of 222. The finish was good enough for third place, which marks Fjelstul's third top-5 and fourth top-10 finish as an individual this season. 

Devlin also recorded a top-20 finish as an individual. The sophomore finished in 18th place after shooting 81 on the final day of competition thanks to his three-day score of 234. Though his score didn't count toward the team's, Stiner also impressed on the course, as he finished in the top-35 with a three-day score of 238.

Both Reuter and O'Brien ended the three-day tournament in the top-50 as individuals. Reuter finished with a three-day score of 240, while O'Brien closed the weekend at 242. Dorans shot 82 on the final day of competition, concluding the weekend with a three-day score of 247. 

TOP NORSE

• Jay Fjelstul (Decorah, Iowa / Decorah) was the highest individual for the Norse. His three-day score of 222 was good enough for third place, marking his third top-5 finish of the fall season. 
• Haakon Rustad (Northfield, Minn. / Northfield) shot the lowest individual round for Luther over the weekend. The sophomore shot 72 on the final day of competition to jump into the top-20 on the individual leaderboard. 
• Mark Devlin (Cookstown, Northern Ireland / Cookstown) recorded a top-20 finish, as he shot 234 over the weekend to finish in 18th place. 
• Peter Stiner (Colorado Springs, Colo. / St. Mary's) impressed in his season debut, as he was the fourth highest individual finisher for the Norse with a three-day score of 238.

UP NEXT
Luther will conclude the fall season next weekend, as the Norse are set to compete in the UW-Stout Invitational.  The tournament will take place at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Tee times and pairings will be announced later this week.