MONMOUTH, Ill. – It was quite the opening week for the Luther College men's golf team. After their original season opening tournament was canceled due to inclement weather, the Norse traveled to Monmouth, Illinois to participate in Monmouth College's Fighting Scot Invite. The plan change ended up serving Luther well, as the Norse finished second at the tournament with a two-day score of 608. Jay Fjelstul (Decorah, Iowa / Decorah) and Haakon Rustad (Northfield, Minn. / Northfield) were the top finishers for Luther, as they both finished in sixth at +7.
DAY ONE RECAP
The Norse put together a strong opening day down in Illinois, as the team shot 303, the second lowest score on the course. Fjelstul was the highest finisher for Luther on Saturday, as he ended the day in second place after shooting a first round 72. Rustad was just a few strokes behind, as he closed the day in sixth after shooting an opening round 75.
Brandon Dorans (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Barrington) shot 77 in his first round of the spring season, closing day one in a tie for 12th place. Hogan Reuter (Farmington, Minn. / Farmington) also claimed a spot in the top-25 on day one, as he shot a 79 to finish in 25th place.
Mark Devlin (Cookstown, Northern Ireland / Cookstown) and Peter Stinar (Colorado Springs, Colo. / St. Mary's) rounded out the Norse line up down in Illinois. As an individual, Stinar put together one of the best rounds of his collegiate career, finishing day one in 21st place after shooting an opening round 78. Devlin also impressed in his first round of the spring season, shooting an opening round 80 Saturday afternoon.
DAY TWO RECAP
After strong performances on day one, Luther showed consistency on day two, shooting 305 to close the weekend with a two-day score of 608. Fjelstul and Rustad ended up in a tie for sixth place, finishing the tournament with a score of +7. After shooting an opening round 75, Rustad shot 74 on the second day of competition, finishing with a two-day score of 149. Fjelstul shot a second round 77, concluding his weekend with a two-day score of 149.
The Norse saw three individuals finish in the top-10 over the weekend, as Stinar shot the best round of his Luther career Sunday. The sophomore shot a low-round 74 on day two of the competition, finishing in ninth place as an individual for the Norse with a two-day score of 152 (+10). Rueter just missed a top-10 showing, as he dropped five strokes from his first round score to finish the competition with a two-day score of 153 (+11)
Dorans closed the competition with a two-day score of 158 (+16) after shooting 81 on the final day of competition, while Devlin finished in 35th with a two-day score of 160 (+18).
TOP NORSE
- Jay Fjelstul (Decorah, Iowa / Decorah) earned yet another top-10 finish this year, opening the spring season with a sixth place finish after shooting 149 (+7). Haakon Rustad (Northfield, Minn. / Northfield) finished in a tie with his teammate after shooting an identical score.
- Peter Stinar (Colorado Springs, Colo. / St. Mary's) shot the best rounds of his collegiate career over the weekend, earning a top-10 finish thanks to his two-day score of 152 (+10)
UP NEXT
Luther will compete in the DIII Showcase in its next tournament of the spring season, as the Norse will face some of the top teams in Division III. The prestigious tournament will take place April 10-11 in French Link, Indiana.
