Results (PDF)

LIVERMORE, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's golf team turned in an excellent performance Tuesday afternoon in the final round of the second annual Bay Area Invitational to finish in seventh place out of 16 teams at Wente Vineyards. 

After team scores of 321 (+33) and 319 (+31) in the first two rounds, the Pioneers carded 306 (+18) to close out the 54-hole event at 946 (+82).

Sonoma State won the tournament at 906 (+42) and was the only team to post a round under 300 during a week in which scores were exceptionally high across the board. The golfers dealt with tough conditions both days. Play was suspended due to lightning Monday afternoon and most groups had to finish round two Tuesday morning, but not until after another delay because of frost on the course.

Junior Greg Smith was CSUEB's most consistent golfer during a tournament where low scores were hard to come by. He turned in rounds of 78 (+6), 82 (+10), and 77 (+5) on the par-72 course for a total of 237 (+21), and finished in a tie for 29th place in the overall field of 82 golfers.

Chris Carney was near the bottom of the leaderboard after an 87 (+15) in the opening round, but he bounced back with a 78 (+6) in round two, and then carded the team's lowest round of the week with a 75 (+3) Tuesday. The sophomore moved all the way up to 34th place with a total of 240 (+24). 

Just one stroke back was junior Declan Illingsworth, who fired 84-79-78 to finish at 241 (+25) with a share of 39th place. Two more strokes behind him was fellow newcomer Will Barnett, who was solid in round one with a 76 (+4), but followed that with an 80 (+8) in round two and stumbled to an 87 (+15) in round three. Barnett's total of 243 (+27) put him in a tie for 45th.

Sophomore Max Murai was East Bay's lowest overall finisher in 63rd place at 251 (+35), but he also carded the team's second-best round of the tournament. Murai's 76 (+4) in round three was an impressive bounce-back after shooting 83 (+11) and 92 (+20) on the first day.

After a good showing in difficult conditions to open the Spring season, the Pioneers return to action next week for their home tournament. The CSUEB men and women host their respective annual Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootouts simultaneously on Mar. 5-6, with the men playing 54 holes at the Club at Ruby Hill in Pleasanton.