The scores came in much lower during the second day of the Albert Lea

Invite at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club and Orono made up an eight-stroke deficit to win the inaugural tournament

The Spartans shot 291 and won the tournament by six strokes with a two-day total of 605. Eden Prairie finished second with 611 and the Tigers placed third with a 612 after another 306.

“We’re extremely happy with that,” said Albert Lea head coach Riley

Worth. “We did not lose this tournament. We were beaten by two superior teams.”

The Tigers led the tournament after the first day by seven strokes but weren’t able to match Orono and Eden Prairie.

Albert Lea senior Sam Matheson led the team with a 74 and finished tied for seventh overall with a two-day total of 150. Senior Tyler Brackey followed his first-day 74 with a 77 while senior Casey Marka shot 77 and senior Tyler Haaland shot 79 as the Tigers got four players to break 80 for the second consecutive day.

The third-place finish showed Albert Lea that it is capable of playing well against some of the best in the state, but it also showed Worth that the team can play well in more of a neutral setting.

“Today, to me, proved a lot, because this is not our home course,” Worth said. “This was a foreign course for us in a lot of ways. It showed me that on a fairly neutral course we were able to play with some of the best in the state.”

Chaska’s Jon DuToit won medalist honors with a two-day total of 143.

DuToit led the first day with a 69 at Green Lea Golf Course and followed with a 74 at Wedgewood. Orono’s Patrick Johnson, the state’s top-ranked player, finished second with a 144 and shot 72 on both days.