The Stanford men’s golf team got off to a hot start by winning the first tournament of the 2006 fall season. The Cardinal, led by senior Zack Miller, won the Gopher Invitational last week at the Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata, Minn.

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The men’s golf team has a nice mix of of seniors, juniors, sophomore and freshmen this year. That mix has already caputured a tournament victory and it looks for another when the team travels to the Fighting Illini Invitational next week. #gallery http://daily.stanford.edu/image/full/6148
Peter Krutzik

The men’s golf team has a nice mix of of seniors, juniors, sophomore and freshmen this year. That mix has already caputured a tournament victory and it looks for another when the team travels to the Fighting Illini Invitational next week.

The Card finished with a three round total of 889 in cold and windy conditions to edge the University of Minnesota by five strokes.

Stanford finished the first two rounds two strokes behind the Gophers, but managed to surge ahead on the final day of play.

Miller tied for first individually with Colt Knost of Southern Methodist University with a two-under-par, three round total of 214. Miller trailed Knost by four shots entering the final round, but his final round even-par 72 was good enough to tie him for the win.

Freshman Joseph Bramlett finished 11th individually in the event, tied with junior Rob Grube with a nine-over-par 225.

The tournament victory was the first for Stanford under third-year head coach Conrad Ray.

Ray is hoping to return the Cardinal to the NCAA Championships after missing out last season. The Cardinal made the NCAAs in Ray’s first year at the helm, but finished in 14th place in last year’s NCAA West Regional and did not qualify for the event

Grube, who was named last year’s Pac-10 Co-Golfer of the Year, will lead the Cardinal’s effort. He had a busy summer, finishing first at the Illinois State Amateur Championship. Grube dominated the field in the event, finishing with an event-record, 11-stroke margin of victory.

Grube and Miller will be backed up by an experienced group of golfers. The Card only lose two golfers off of last years squad, Kyle Gentry and Scott McDonald. Gentry was a key member of the 2005-2006 team and was one of five golfers selected to represent Stanford at the NCAA West Regional.

Returning this season is senior Matt Savage, who competed in 11 events last year and finished with two top-25 finishes. Sophomore Daniel Lim will also be back for this year’s campaign. He recorded one top-10 finish last season and participated in the West Regional.

A pair of freshman will enter the mix this season. Bramlett has already proven that he will be a critical part of the squad. Jordan Cox, a freshman out of Redwood Shores, Calif, is the other newcomer to the team.

The Cardinal next hit the links Sept. 24-25 in the Fighting Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields Golf Club in Chicago. The event features a very strong field, including Arizona State, Duke, Georgia Tech and defending national-champion, Oklahoma State.