By Mason Nesbitt, TMU Sports Information Director

In conversations about who would fill the void left by a pair of high-level graduations following last season, Josh Kehl‘s name was always near the top of the list.

The Master’s University sophomore showed why this week at the MCU Fall Invitational in Palm Springs, firing a 5-under across three rounds at Tahquitz Creek Resort and finishing fourth individually.

Kehl’s 4-under 68 in the first round was a career low.

“He did a phenomenal job of remaining positive,” TMU head coach Jacob Hicks said of Kehl. “In two of the rounds, he got off to a poor start and kept his cool and rallied to post a good round.”

Master’s rallied, too, overcoming an uneven first round to finish fourth out of 10 teams with a collective 5-over.

The Mustangs best round was the second, when they dipped below par in a round for the first time this season (5-under). It’s been a focused goal since September when the club traveled to Oklahoma City and competed in a tournament hosted by the NAIA’s No. 1 team, Oklahoma City University.

TMU has grown since then. And Hicks was pleased with the progress he saw Monday and Tuesday, mainly with Kehl’s mental game.

The sophomore wields a rare level of raw talent. But over the last month, Hicks has regularly reminded Kehl that his thoughts must remain positive to unlock his ability.

The coach sent Kehl inspiring snippets from a book written by former NFL coach Tony Dungy. He walked and talked with Kehl at practice and on the course, reminding him not to let frustration rule. Golf, Hicks said, was a game and an opportunity to glorify the Lord.

“‘Hey, you got this thing. Stay positive. You’ve got the game, trust it,'” Hicks recalled saying.

This week, Kehl did.

Kehl’s best round came on the tournament’s first day, a 4-under 68. Freshman Eric Martin was the next lowest scorer for Master’s. He shot a 3-over for the tournament and finished tied for 17th place.

Jack Dudeck was tied for 24th at 6-over, and Karsten Briley tied for 35th (9-over).

“It definitely was a step forward,” Hicks said. “Overall, I’m pleased with the way they represented who we are and our mission as a team. I think it should give us some confidence going into the spring that we’re moving in the right direction. We played a lot of conference teams this week and showed we can go toe-to-toe with any of them.”

Master’s finished ahead of Arizona Christian and Hope International, but behind Menlo College. The Mustangs won’t compete again until the new year when it will aim to make a run at a GSAC title and the NAIA national tournament.