In the first tournament of the 2022 golf season, the men's team returned to Vaaler Creek Golf Course, the site where they won the SCAC Championship just five months ago. Vaaler Creek is a memorable course not just for the team but for Christian Rodriguez as well, who won first place in the championship as an individual after a three-hole playoff. 

The Pirates and Rodriguez continued their success at Vaaler Creek earlier this week in the John Bohmann Memorial Invite, shooting a two-round total of 588 for +12 as a team. The Pirates finished one stroke behind the second-place finisher, Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB). The Pirates competed well in a stacked field, UMHB was ranked 23rd in the September 9th GCAA Coaches Poll and the field of the tournament contained five teams receiving top 25 votes, including Southwestern. 

There was early season rust for the team, as expected in the first round. But Christian Rodriguez and Nicholas Hoistington were in good form to start, Rodriguez shot -1 while Hoisington shot even par, putting the Pirates in second place after the first round. 

The rest of the team improved significantly in the second round, Bryce Stiemert and Logan Pullin both started the tournament off +5 but improved by three strokes finishing with a second-round score of 74. Austin Kelley also improved by a stroke in his second round.  

Going from a -1 71, Rodriguez shot 69 moving from second place into first and securing the individual victory. Rodriguez was one of four players in the tournament to break the 70 mark. This win for Rodriguez marks his third consecutive win dating back to the West Region Invitational in April 2022 and he has now completed back-to-back wins at Vaaler Creek. Rodriguez's performance has also earned him the first SCAC Men's Golfer of the Week honor for the 2022 season. 

The men's golf team travels to Tunica, Mississippi this weekend to compete in the Rhodes Invitational on Sunday, September 18th, and Monday, September 19th.