South Dakota finishes 8th, surpasses Fort Wayne in Martin Downs Collegiate

South Dakota’s golf team concluded the Martin Downs Collegiate on Tuesday with an eighth place finish out of 13 teams. The team posted 890 shots and a 26-over-par score.

South Dakota and Purdue Fort Wayne were the only Summit League schools at the tournament. While the Coyotes trailed Fort Wayne by two strokes prior to the final round, South Dakota shot 292 strokes in the final round to surpass their Summit League opponent by five shots.

Senior Tommy Vining led all Coyotes, tying for seventh place at the event. Vining posted 214 strokes (2-under-par) and shot 15 birdies, the second most of any golfer, per GoYotes.

Arends shot 73 strokes on Tuesday (1-over-par), good for 40th place with 224 total shots (8-over-par) in the three rounds. Coyote sophomore Jacob Michel finished one stroke behind Arends.

Four Coyotes saved their best for last. Freshman Ben Hicks, sophomore Tate Arends, and juniors Matt Tolan and Scott Fudenberg all registered their best round of the tournament on Tuesday. Tolan, Hicks and Fudenberg shot 73, 75 and 77 strokes respectively on Tuesday. Tolan and Hicks tied for 53rd with 228 strokes (12-over-par), and Fudenberg finished in a tie for 78th with 239 strokes (23-over-par).

The tournament host, UNC Greensboro,  won the event with 850 shots and 14-under-par. UNCG’s Nick Lyerly won the event with 207 strokes and 9-under-par.

Up next on the schedule, the Yotes will compete at the Loyola (MD) Intercollegiate in Palm Valley, Arizona on Feb. 23-25.