PETERSBURG, Va.—This afternoon at the Griffin Invitational, the Palm Beach Atlantic men's golf team clinched its first tournament win since joining the NCAA Division II level in 2013, as Martin Westerlund collected the program's first individual trophy of the D-II era as well. Exactly a week after the women's golf squad notched its first victory in program history, the men's team followed suit, smashing individual and team records en route to a dominating triumph at the Country Club of Petersburg in Virginia.
All five golfers recorded their lowest score of the 2019-20 campaign in the opening round on Monday as Palm Beach Atlantic logged the lowest team round since golf was reinstated in 2013, a 283.
Westerlund, a senior, led the way for the Sailfish, shooting the lowest round by any PBA golfer in the D-II era in the opening 18 holes (65). His seven-under score through the first round put the Cal State-Monterey Bay transfer in the top spot individually and helped Palm Beach Atlantic to an early lead on day one.
Grant Horvat joined Westerlund as the other member of the PBA team under par after one round with a 71 (-1).
Through two rounds, the Sailfish were poised to complete the victory. After a D-II program record in the opening 18, PBA bested the mark by two strokes, registering a 281 and sitting 12 strokes under par.
The 'Fish held an 18-shot advantage through 36 thanks to another low round by Westerlund (69) and Jacob Shamblin's best 18-hole score of the season (67). William Hartford also shot an impressive 70 (-2) to cap off play on Monday.
Westerlund, Shamblin and Hartford all collected eagles during the two-day span to propel the Sailfish to the win.
PBA easily coasted through the third and final round to take home the trophy as Horvat and Westerlund shot a 68 and a 69, respectively, on Tuesday.
Westerlund captured the individual title at the tournament with an overall score of 203. The Stockholm, Sweden native finished 13 strokes under par, while his teammate Horvat ended the invitational two under, good enough to tie for fifth place.
The individual title marked the first of Palm Beach Atlantic's Division-II golfing years on either the men's or women's side.
PBA will look to continue its phenomenal stretch at the Shark Invitational next week. The tournament is set to be played on Oct. 7 and 8 in Palm Beach Gardens.
