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Darren Edwards 5.8
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FLC junior Darren Edwards finished tied for 37th at the NCAA DII West/South Central Regional Tournament (File Photo)

Edwards caps tremendous junior season with a tie for 37th at the DII West/South Central Regional Tournament

5/8/2021 5:30:00 PM

By: David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications
DUPONT, Washington — Fort Lewis College junior Darren Edwards etched himself a spot in FLC men's golf history over the weekend, representing the Skyhawks at the three-day, 54-hole NCAA Division II West/South Central Super Regional, hosted at the Home Course in DuPont, Washington.

Edwards finished tied for 37th overall with a tournament score of +9 (225), becoming the first FLC player since 2011-12 to compete at a NCAA Division II Super Regional. The feat was last accomplished by Charlie Laudermilk, who finished in a tie for 57th overall in the spring of 2012.

"It was a fantastic experience and something I know I'll remember for the rest of my life," said Edwards, who was named a First Team All-RMAC and First Team All-Academic player prior to the tournament. "I hope to be back and, as a team, I think we will be back here next year."

Ranked No. 91 among all NCAA Division II golfers entering the tournament, according to Golf Stat, Edwards solidified his way into the Super Regional with a tie for 2nd place at the RMAC Championships back on April 18-20.

Edwards kept rolling right into Round One of the NCAA West/South Central Super Regional as he carded four birdies, including two birdies over his final three holes to post a -2 (70). He left the clubhouse Thursday evening tied for fourth overall out of 86 golfers.

"Day One was a solid round. I was striking the ball well and didn't really make many mistakes. I didn't think I putted very well on Day One, but it was still a solid round and I played similar golf to how I've been playing all year," Edwards said. "But on Day Two and Day Three, I kind of just lost the feel a little bit."

A cold front brought lower temperatures and windy conditions for the field to contend with Friday and Saturday, with Edwards concluding the tournament with respectable rounds of +7 (79) and +4 (76), respectively.

"My swing got pretty quick after the first day and I made some mental mistakes. But I learned a lot about myself and my game from the experience that will pay dividends moving forward," Edwards said. "Even though I didn't play as well as I'd have like those last two rounds, I still really enjoyed myself on every hole and the coaching staff was great. They did a wonderful job helping me through every hole this tournament and I thank them for that."

Edwards was joined over the weekend by FLC head golf coach Jim Foltz and assistant coach Devin Schreiner, each of whom have had a big hand in the resurgence of a FLC men's golf program that finished second at the RMAC Championships in April; the best finish for the program since FLC won the conference championship in 2010-11.

"The program is building. And we've been trying to build a program that is sustainable for years to come because we've now set a standard. Darren has been a huge part of that as a captain, as a good team member and now as a DII Super Regional player," Foltz said. "He gained so much experience from this weekend that he's going to be able to come back and show our younger guys what it takes and what is to follow."

The great news for the Skyhawks is Edwards will be back in the fold in 2021-22 as a senior, aiming to make a return trip to the regional tournament with teammates alongside him.

"This season meant a lot to me and I know it meant a lot to the program, giving us something to build on," Edwards said. "I think this is just the beginning. The main goal is to get the team here and to get the team to the national tournament next year. I think we have the team to do it. If we all keep getting better, we're going to get to where we want to be."
 
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