The Master’s University men’s Golf team finished second by just one stroke at the RMC Intercollegiate in Henderson, Nev. on Wednesday, March 5.

It was a nail biter to the end.

The team trailed by 10 strokes with nine holes left at Reflection Bay Golf Club.

It would play those nine holes one-under as a team but would still come up just short.

While the Mustangs were unable to complete the comeback, senior Jonathan Larson returned to the winner’s circle and claimed his fifth individual win of the year with a comeback of his own, something TMU Head Coach Craig Despain was proud of.

“We were chatting and I told (Larson]) ‘I’ll meet you on the back nine,'” he said before the final round. “Me and him had some good chemistry reading greens so I knew if we were in the hunt, I needed to get over there.”

Larson led by one after the first round by carding a four-under 68. But a second round score of three-over 75 had him five strokes behind the leader. And after making the turn at one-under par, that was when Despain and Larson linked up.

“I got to (Larson) on the (back) nine and we just went on a birdie streak,” Despain said.

Larson fired four birdies in five holes, three of which came in a row. Despite a double-bogey on his 17th hole, a birdie on the last hole secured his win with a final round four-under 68 to finish with a 54-hole total of five-under (211) and a two-shot lead.

But for Larson, his birdie was not only for his individual score, but for the team score.

“I knew I needed to get another (birdie) for the team for us to have a chance to fight back and claw up against (British Columbia.” he said about his efforts. “This (result) wasn’t what everyone wanted but I think everyone kind of put that aside and we were just playing one day at a time, one round at a time… Everyone was just grinding for each other and playing for each other.”

Freshman Jacob Janho held firm through the 54-hole event, finishing at T6 with a total of seven-over (223). Junior Seth Bishop and sophomore Wes Opliger tied each other at T15 with 54-hole totals of 11-over (227). Graduate student Simon Blackburn rounded out the men’s squad close behind at T17 with a total of 12-over (228).

But the Mustangs’ second-place finish was a win of its own, as they defeated No. 9 Rocky Mountain College (MT) and No. 12 Ottawa University Arizona, with the Mustangs currently ranked No. 19 in the nation.

“My goal coming into (the final round) was to beat OUAZ and, if we could, beat UBC and Rocky Mountain… so this tournament was a big moral victory for us… From the Lewis and Clark event to this one, I’m excited about what I’m seeing here.” Despain said about the team’s finish.

On the women’s side, the Lady Mustangs completed their first 54-hole event of the spring season, as they battled through high winds, cold weather and a 36-hole day of golf.

Junior Hannah Ulibarri continued her “Player of the Year” season with a convincing third-place finish, shooting a final round two-over 74 to return to the clubhouse with the third-best score of the round. She would finish the tournament with a 54-hole total of 12-over.

“It was weird,” Ulibarri said about her play through the tournament. “I actually felt like I played a lot better. I felt like I shot even (par), but it turns out I was over-par. I think that’s because the course is a bit tougher. It played long for us, but I do think I made more pressure putts and my chipping was very good.”

“I’m really proud of Hannah,” Despain said about Ulibarri. “She hung in there. These greens were really difficult, they weren’t rolling true and she just played so well. Really proud of Hannah.”

Senior Nicole Southard finished in 33rd with a total of 43-over, with junior Peyton Grider finishing close behind in 37th and a total of 51-over. Sophomore Grace Aamot finished in 43rd while freshman Destiny Mendiola finished right behind in 44th.

“This was Destiny’s first time playing in a big tournament like this,” Despain said about her first 54-hole event. “To see her grind through it, through all the ups and downs, really proud of her.”

And for Despain, the women’s persistence and character was in full display, something he is grateful to see.

“These are long days, so it was so encouraging to see them. Their second nine of our second (round) on day one… they played better, so I was just so impressed and so thankful to watch them play better the second (round).” he said. “I’m really proud of them and their character. Destiny got to share the gospel with the girl she was with and she was so excited about that.”

Both the men’s and women’s team will have the entire spring break to rest and prepare for their home event, the TMU Spring Invite at Soule Park Golf Course in Ojai on March 17-18.

“Soule Park is a course that we’re very familiar with,” Despain said about the next event. “Very excited to move the venue there just because we love that course so much.”

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