DUPONT, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University men's golf team teed off the 2021 season in style on Saturday, successfully defending its home turf with an 8.5-5.5 match play win over Grays Harbor College at The Home Course.

" It was an absolute blast to be out on the course competing again. Today gave us a good idea of where we stand as a team, and there were a lot of things to be happy about," said Head Coach Kyle Drugge.

The first round of match play saw the Lutes and Chokers split the matches, each collecting 3.5 points. That included match wins from Lutes' Simon Luedtke, Jordan Lau, Cameron Klundt, and a tie by Ryan Pearson.

Round two was all Lutes, winning three of the seven matches, and tying the other four. Lau won his second match of the afternoon while Caden Arnold and Ryan Pearson each picked up wins. Earning ties were Jared Beals, Luedtke, Gunner Nielsen, and Klundt.

"Today was a great opportunity for our players to see how their games hold up under the pressure of competition, and they used this experience to build trust in themselves and their teammates. We're hoping to use the matches this weekend to build some confidence and some momentum heading into our conference events later this month. Overall, I'm proud of the effort and positive attitudes they played with today, the team win was a bonus."

The Lutes are back on the links tomorrow, facing crosstown rival University of Puget Sound in a dual match at Oakbrook Golf Club.