Over the weekend, the men’s golf team traveled to Richmond, Indiana, for the Earlham Spring Invite. After two days of competing, they finished with a team score of 592, beating the nearest competitor by 20 strokes.
Asbury’s Marcos de Ezcurra won the tournament overall with a score of 140, followed by Victor Vargas with a total of 148. Asbury swept the tournament with “a good old-fashioned butt whooping,” said head coach Scott Ferguson.
Having the victory as a final feather in their cap was necessary for the team.
“It feels great to end the season with a victory, I think we had an amazing year in general, and it means a lot for us to win on our senior day,” said Vargas.
The men’s team is graduating three more seniors and some of its top players following this season. This includes Marcos Ezcurra, Nathan Stine, and Noah Wright.
It is a time for the team to reflect on their year and look back at their triumphs, including their victory in Florida, to bring back the NCCAA National Championship.
“The highlight of this season is the national tournament for sure,” Vargas said. “I think it is so important for us to be the first team national champions from Asbury, and that was the trust that we needed to know that we could compete against any other team in the nation.”
This success did not come without hurdles. After adjusting to a new coach in the fall, they had to work on coming together as a team.
“I think the biggest challenge that we had this season was to become more together as a team and play for the same goals since we were not that close at the beginning of the season. However, with our new coach, this did not become a problem during the season, and in the end, I can say that we are for sure one of the best teams on this campus, inside and outside the golf course,” said Vargas.
While this season and time for the current team close, they are beginning to look toward the future. Vargas, who placed second in the tournament, uses this as motivation for next year.
“Finishing in second place gives me a lot of trust into the next season since we will compete again at the national tournament, and it just feels good to be able to contribute to the team performance,” said Vargas.
The men are ready and excited for the new challenges of the fall. They see their newfound strength and anticipate competing at their highest level to maintain their national champion title.
