By Jeremy Gonzalez, Sports Editor
The 2019-20 CSUDH golf team will continue their season in the spring semester, with tournaments resuming again in February after a three month break. Their first tournament after the holidays is the Fujikura Invitational, hosted by Cal State San Marcos, at Shadowridge Golf Course in Vista, Calif. on Feb. 3 and 4.
At the helm for the Toros golf team is Ron Eastman, who enters his seventh season as the head coach of the program. Eastman joined the program prior to the 2014 season and brought the first of four PGA Minority Collegiate Championships in the 2015-16 season.
The Toros have not performed up to par in the CCAA championships recently but has had success elsewhere, winning the PGA Works Championship (formerly known as the Minority Collegiate Championship) two years in a row and four out of the last five tournaments and seniors William Yang, Andrew Banuelos and junior Andrew Fernandes finished as the tournament’s top golfers in that order.
The Toros have competed in three tournaments up to this point. The first was the Sonoma State Invitational, where the team finished eighth of nine teams and junior Todd Henderson and sophomore Kyle Campano finished among the top 25 participants.
At the team’s second tournament, the Sierra Central Wildcat Classic hosted by Chico State, Henderson was the best golfer for the Toros as he finished tied for 25th in the tournament. The Toros finished 14th of 14 when the final results came in.
The best outing for the Toros this season occurred at the Dennis Rose Invitational in Hawaii. Junior Raynard Belmonte led the way for the Toros as he scored a season-low 73 and tied for 19th in the individual standings having scored 7-over after all three rounds of the tournament. The Toros finished tied for 11th out of 16 teams.
The top three golfers for the Toros are Henderson, Belmonte and Campano, with senior Dylan Hall just behind Campano in the pecking order. Henderson holds the best score of the season so far, shooting a 71 at the Sierra Central Wildcat Classic.
Later in the season, beginning in March, the golf team will participate in tournaments weekly through the end of April as they attempt to challenge for the CCAA championship and defend their PGA Works championship.
