The Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) Sea Lions golf team, making its 18th consecutive appearance in the nationals, finished tied for 12th place at the 58th annual National Athletic Interscholastic Association (NAIA) men’s golf championships at Deere Run Golf Course in Illinois between May 19 and 22.
Oklahoma Christian won the tournament, with a total of 1,181 strokes, followed by Texas Wesleyan (1,185), British Columbia (1,191), OC (1,195) and Berry (1,201). Point Loma scored 1,224 (310-314-296-304), 88 over par and 43 behind Oklahoma Christian.
The highlight of the tournament for the Sea Lions was senior Sam Cyr, who captured his second straight NAIA individual title, placing first out of a field of 151 participants. Cyr shot a two under par (282, 72-72-67-71), three strokes better than the nearest competition.
“Obviously, Sam winning was the highlight of the tournament. Even qualifying for the nationals was a highlight for us,” said PLNU head golf coach Ben Foster said.
The NAIA championship wraps up Cyr’s brilliant collegiate career, which can be considered the most successful in school history. Cyr was named NAIA All-American for the fourth consecutive year, tying Daniel Horning’s record set between 2002 and 2005. Cyr also becomes PLNU’s first two-time NAIA champion, and he became the first back-to-back NAIA champion since Jamie Burns accomplished that feat in 1992-93. Cyr also has the top three of the PLNU top five season strokes per average in 2008 (first, 71.66), 2007 (second, 72.28) and 2006
(fifth, 73.52).
Cyr’s accomplishments go beyond the consecutive NAIA titles, however. He has won a total of 12 tournaments in his four years at Point Loma and came close to another NAIA title in 2007, when he entered the final round with the lead, only to finish as the NAIA runner-up in his sophomore year.
Cyr struggled to win tournaments in 2008 after the disappointment in the 2007 nationals, but he played his best golf when it mattered by winning the Region II title and NAIA title. Cyr remained hot this year by winning three more tournaments in the regular season, then won the national qualifier tournament before he won the NAIA title.
The Sea Lions’ remaining golfers also played well in the nationals, with each finishing in the top 90.
“We were not as consistent this year,” said Foster. “The inconsistency in the tournament was typical of the year we had. We played good golf and we had opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on.”
Senior Trent Castro finished 63rd and shot 311, 27 over par (77-81-74-79). Sophomore Joel Salmond had the third-highest finish on the team with a score of 316, 32 over par (81-81-77-77), which tied him for 79th place. Senior Marc Machado was just two notches below Salmond, at 81st, with a score of 318 (80-83-78-77), 34 over par. Sophomore Zack Ponder finished at 89th, with a 40 over par (83-80-80-81).
Despite the season of inconsistency for the team as a whole, it was a good season for Foster, who was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame during the weekend of the nationals.
“It was certainly a tremendous honor, and was very pleased the Hall of Fame and the university would honor me in such a way,” Foster said. “It speaks to the quality of golfers we’ve had in this program. You don’t get an honor like that unless you’ve had good players.”
