The Stetson men's golf team struggled to find its way through the windy conditions at the Fort Lauderdale Country Club this week, finishing 10^th in the Fort Lauderdale Invitational hosted by Loyola University of Maryland.
 
The Hatters played the tournament a man short after sophomore Tate Smith aggravated a shoulder injury early in Monday's opening round. Working without a net, so to speak, the quartet of sophomores struggled in the opening round and never got going in the right direction.
 
"Coming into this tournament, we weren't prepared for the wind," Baylor Payne said. "It was howling all day. You really have to be on you're a game mentally and physically. Wind even affected putts at times. 75 was a great score. If we could have had a couple more of those, then we could work down from there."
 
Payne was the only Stetson player to break 80 in the opening round, posting a 75. He followed up with an even par 72 in the second round and finished on Tuesday with a 76. His three-round total of 223 earned him a tie for 14^th place in the tournament.
 
Richmond had much less difficulty negotiating the windy conditions. The Spiders coasted to a 13-shot victory in the tournament over second place Seton Hall. Florida Gulf Coast finished third, 14 shots behind the winners.
 
The Spiders' Keegan Hoff also had a fairly early time with the wind. He opened the tournament with a 74, but then posted a second round score of 71 before a five-under par 67 in the final round allowed him to pull away from the field for medalist honors.
 
Casper Howells of FGCU and Ricky Hendler of Florida Atlantic tied for second, three shots off the lead.
 
After Payne, Stetson's E.J. Grimes finished tied for 45^th in the tournament. Grimes opened with an 82, but improved in each round, posting a 77 in the second round before finishing with a 75.
 
Jake Ludwick opened with an 82 as well and followed up with matching scores of 78 in the final two rounds to finish 56^th. Tyler Dierwechter opened with an 80 and then had a pair of 79s to tie for 57^th in the field.
 
The Hatters will continue a busy stretch of their schedule on Monday when they compete in the Southern Intercollegiate in Athens, Ga. That event brings some of the best teams from the southeast together for a one-day, 36-hole, tournament.
 
"It is a fun experience to go up there because it allows us to measure against the cream of the crop," Payne said. "I am confident that we can have a good showing. The bubble is about to pop for this team and people will be surprised when it does."
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.