Consistency issues derails Pack at RMAC Championship

Pack finish 6th at RMAC Championships

DURANGO - A stumble in the second round of the three-round RMAC Championship in Durango Monday started a free fall that saw the Pack drop all the way down to sixth place in the eight-team tourney.

The ThunderWolves, only five shots out of the lead after one round of play, fell nearly 20 shots away from the top spot after round two, adding nine strokes to their round two total.  The Pack shot two strokes worse than that in the third round, finishing nearly 40 strokes behind eventual conference champion, UC-Colorado Springs.

Individually, Pack golfers showed "Jekyll and Hyde" tendencies from round one to round three.

After one round of play, David Duarte was tied for third place after shooting a -3 69, his lowest round of the season by two strokes.  Ray Maruyama turned in the second best first round score with a -1 71, his best round of the season, as well.

In the second round, though, Duarte was nine strokes worse, turning in a 78, while Maruyama put up a 75, four strokes off his first round pace. Maruyama eventually recovered, turning in a +1 73 in the final round to finish as the Pack's top golfer in his finest performance of the season, finishing in 10th place overall.  Duarte logged a third-round 75 to finish in 15th place with a +6 mark.

The owner of the Pack's top stroke average coming into the RMAC Championship, Casey Brock, shot an uncharacteristic 76 in the first round before rebounding with a -2 70 in the second round, the third best second round mark in the field of 43.  But in round three, he put up another uncharacteristic round with a +7 79, finishing +9 overall.

UCCS, the tournament champion, saw its five entrants put up a total of 10 rounds of par or under-par golf out of the 15 total rounds between them.  That compares to just three by CSU-Pueblo golfers.

Next on the slate for the ThunderWolves is the Northwest Regional Head-to-Head, being held in Parker this season.  The Pack's finish there will determine who gets to advance to nationals.