By Tyler Cottle ’18, Staff Writer

The men’s golf team fell five strokes short of a new team record score.

On September 20, 2016, the men’s golf team traveled to Hershey Country Club for the Elizabethtown College Fall Invitational. The five players who went to this invitational were Tom Mattaini, Thomas Moran, David Herbst, Aaron Brown and Grant Leonard.

These five golfers posted a score of 299, which is the lowest score posted by an LVC men’s golf team since 2006.  Not only is this the lowest score in ten years, it is also the lowest score in Mike Swisher’s career as the head coach of the Dutchmen.

At each event, Swisher rides around in a cart to keep up with the five golfers so he can give them insight on their game during each round.

“They played well, but I still think they could play even better than a 299,” Swisher said.

Swisher believes that this team can break the record of a four-man low of 294, set back in 2004, either this fall or during the spring season of this academic school year.

The five players who went to Hershey for this invitational all shot in the 70s. The team’s low score came from Mattaini who shot a 72 and finished tied for seventh. The next three players whose scores counted were Moran (74), Herbst (76) and Brown (77). Only four of the Dutchmen golfers’ scores count during a match and the fifth score is used when there is a tie for first place as a team.  These scores led to the Dutchmen team total of 299.

Herbst was the reigning MAC Commonwealth Golfer of the Week from his September 13, 2016, match.  Not only was he the MAC Commonwealth Golfer of the Week in September, but Herbst was also named to Second Team All-Conference for his performance in the MAC Championships held at Hershey Country Club in the spring season last year.

Herbst also plays in the spring season when the conference championships are held.

“I believe we can win the MAC Championship in the 2017 spring season,” Herbst said. “Stevenson University is playing well this fall season so in order for us to win, we have to play our best to be able to beat them.”

Stevenson University is the reigning MAC Champions from the spring season last year. The Dutchmen golfers will hold their first home invitational at Lebanon Country Club on October 24 at 12 p.m.