The word potential has long been associated with the Albert Lea boys’ golf team and Thursday the Tigers appeared to finally tap into some of that potential by shooting the team’s best score on a par-72 course in head coach Riley Worth’s five years at the helm.

In a match that pitted the Tigers against last year’s co-Big Nine champion Rochester Century and perennial power Austin, Albert Lea shot 303 with five players shooting under 80 at Green Lea Golf Course.

The Tigers beat the Panthers by 12 strokes and the Packers by 14.

Senior Tyler Haaland led the team with a 73 and earned medalist honors with his 1-over round. It’s the third time in four meets Haaland has earned medalist honors and his round set the tone for the rest of the team.

Sophomore Brady Falk shot his best varsity round with a 75 and played the front nine at 1-under while senior Tyler Brackey shot 77 and seniors Sam Matheson and Casey Marka both shot 78s.

“The thing is the word potential has been attached to this group for a long, long time,” Worth said. “While we’ve had some good scores in the past I feel like they’re reaching that potential.”

The Tigers rebounded from a lackluster effort Saturday at the Marshall Invite with their best round of the season, besting their previous season-best by six strokes.

Worth said the team didn’t talk about the Marshall tournament, where Albert Lea shot 331 and finished fourth, and said he considered it an aberration. With Albert Lea shooting a 309 and now a 303 at Green Lea, a truer test comes Tuesday when the Tigers travel to Winona.

“We haven’t necessarily done this back-to-back,” Worth said. A good score at Winona would kind of give credence to this one.”