The UW-Eau Claire men’s golf team was in action this past weekend as they traveled to the Wisconsin Dell’s Trapper Turn Golf Club to participate in the Midwest Region Classic.  Although a statistical problem led to no concrete results yet, head coach Michael Greer said although the team did not come out and play its best golf, there were a lot of positives to take away from the weekend.

 “We came a little bit short of our goals, but I was happy with the way the guys handled themselves,” Greer said.

 Greer said the team proved they were mentally tough this weekend, and the team stayed focused even while their shots weren’t exactly going their way. Greer said newcomer David Walter stood out for his performance and strong mental toughness.

 “David is a real even keel guy. Whether he makes a birdie or a bogey it is hard to tell just by looking at him,” Greer said. “He really knows how to play some good golf.”

 Team captain Ben Brooks had high praise for the newcomer as well for Walter, who notched a top ten score for the Blugolds.

 “We all knew coming into the season that David was a really good player,” Brooks said. “He just continues to prove that day in and day out.”

 Walter said he thought he played well enough in his first match as a Blugold.

 “I set the bar high,” Walter said. “But there is always room for improvement.”

 Walter, who is an Eau Claire native, said he is excited to be playing for his hometown school, and for a team that has so much potential.

 “Coming home has been much more relaxing, and a lot more fun,” Walter said. “We have a great team here that has a lot of heart, and we are led by a great coach.”

 The Blugolds are preparing this week for the St. Johns Fall Invitational. Coach Greer said the team will focus hard this week on their short game.

 “We’re doing a lot of wedge drills, and a lot of putting drills, Brooks said. “We’re just working real hard on all shots within 100 yards [of the pin].”

 The goals for the Blugolds in this upcoming invitational remain the same as they were at the seasons start. They want to win. Brooks said that to do this the team needs to focus only on the shots left in their rounds, and believe in themselves.

 “If we go out and play our best golf, we can definitely win,” Brooks said.