The Vikes golf team return from a successful tournament in Portland, Oregon and both the women’s and men’s teams are happy with their results. The women finished first, shooting a +85 combined, while the men tied for third, shooting a +5 collectively.
While they are happy with the tournament, they are looking to improve and work on their game. There was tension when long-time head coach Bryan Carbery stepped down, but new head coach Justin Clews assures the Vikes faithful that the golf team is in good hands.
The Vikes men’s team dominated this tournament last year, posting a 7-under-par tournament, winning the team race and also finishing first, second and third individually. The women’s team captured second as a team at last year’s event, while Megan Woodland won first place individually. This is the first tournament of the year; the Vikes were expected to come out of Portland with a good tournament, and they delivered.
Sibling duo Bruce and Brynn Tomie entered the event and both finished well: Brynn shot a +17 in total and Bruce shot a −5, finishing tied for second in individual play.
“It went well,” Brynn commented about their play this weekend. “It sets a good standard for the rest of the season. It’s exciting.”
This is Bruce Tomie’s first year at UVic, and he’s just getting used to the atmosphere, but his older sister Brynn is helping him both on and off the course. “Bruce played really well and he’s happy with his score,” Brynn said.
Bruce posted a −5, capturing second this weekend in his first tournament, while Brynn shot a +17, rewarding her with a third-place finish. Both the men’s and women’s teams finished in the top three, a great accomplishment to start the season.
“We do have a lot of room to work with, but I think it was a good tournament for all of us and a step in the right direction to kick things off for us,” Brynn said. “It was a really good place to start, and we’re going to keep moving up this year.”
The Vikes will need the veteran presence to help the younger players. The tournament in Portland was a definite eye-opener to the rookies, and they now know what it’s like to play in a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) event.
“It’s exciting to be one of the older ones on the team,” coach Clews said.
The Vikes golf team has some work to do, but they should still be proud of their terrific performance in Portland this past weekend. All of the players represented UVic with class and sportsmanship, and coach Clews will be looking for improvement as they head into future tournaments.
This past weekend was a good measuring stick for all of the players as it assessed where they’re at and where they need to be. Clews and the rest of the team returned to Victoria and will be looking forward to improving their game and getting another shot at a tournament win.
