Men's Golf | 3/22/2022 5:10:00 PM

Dixie State held on to place ninth overall at the UC San Diego Invitational, which was played at the La Costa Champions Course in Carlsbad, Calif.

The Trailblazers began the tourney with a 6-over 294 on Monday to stand in eighth after their opening loop, and despite bettering their score by two strokes in the afternoon round (4-over 292), the Blazers fell one spot to ninth. DSU remained in ninth throughout Tuesday's loop round to finish with a three-round score of plus-21 885, one shot clear of 10^th-place Hawai'i (398-292-296-886; +22).
 
Sacramento State (289-276-289-854; -10) managed to leapfrog host UC San Diego (279-280-296-855; -9) on Tuesday and claim the team title by one shot,

Sophomore Josh Pehrson recorded his third collegiate top-20 showing as he finished in a four-way tie for 16^th at plus-2 218. After opening with a 3-over 75 on Monday morning, he bounced back with a 1-under on his afternoon loop. Pehrson then posted an even par 72 on Tuesday to vault 17 spots up the leaderboard.
 
Senior Brock Nielson (71-72-73) put together another solid tourney, opening with a 72 followed by rounds of 73 and 75 to join eight others tied for 28^th at plus-4 220. Meanwhile, junior Triston Gardner was the only other Trailblazer to card a red number at the event, matching Pehrson's 71 in round two, which was book-ended by rounds of 75 and 76, on his way to a t-40^th finish at plus-6 222.
 
Junior Davis Heslington (72-78-76) led DSU with 12 birdies as he placed t-54^th at plus-10 226, and freshman Taft Lewis (77-77-76) wound up tied for 65^th at plus-14 230.

Dixie State will enjoy a near three week break before traveling back to southern California for the final time this season to play in the UC Santa Barbara Intercollegiate, which will take place at the Sandpiper Golf Club on April 11-12.