After the first round of the Hootie at Bulls Bay invitational in Awendaw, South Carolina the Kent State men’s golf team was second.

At the end of the second round, the Flashes scored a combined 284, the best for the round.

However, a combined 295 final round derailed all hopes as the Flashes stumbled to a fifth-place finish.

“We played well the first two rounds, best all year,” coach Herb Page said. “We just didn’t drive the ball very well last round. We drove badly on the second hole and really bad on the 18th.”

Associate coach Jon Mills put some of the Flashes’ struggles on their inability to drive the ball.

“We were prepared but just got off to a bad start,” Mills started. “The second hole is a risk/reward par 5. We struggled there and put the ball in a bad spot. We never could really recover after that, and we didn’t take advantage of the next par 5, the fourth hole. That definitely hurt us big time.”

Despite the tough finish, Page thinks the Flashes have been playing better as of late

“I think it is a work in progress,” Page said. “It was much better than two weeks ago in Myrtle Beach, and we keep getting better.”

“We’re a team, and I’m part of that team.“If we are not prepared, I need to take part of the blame. I think we were prepared; we just didn’t execute. Whether it was game day or technical, that’s for the players to decide. Golf is not a game of perfect but a couple of shots can cost you.”

Mills said the team is close to postseason-level play, and there’s plenty to look forward to.

“We’re getting there,” Mills said. “There are a lot of good things to take away, and as a team, we gave ourselves an opportunity to win.”

As the postseason approaches, Page knows that the Flashes will need to lock in mentally if they want to extend their season.

“Golf is a fickle game,” Page said. “One day you think you have it conquered, and the next day, it bites you back. However, one thing you cannot do is dismiss it or pretend it didn’t happen. You have to analyze to see what happened and how to make it better, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”

The Flashes will be back in action on April 6 when they travel to College Station for the Aggie Invitational.

Zachary McKnight is a sports reporter. Contact him at [email protected].