The Benedictine University Mesa men's golf team delivered a strong performance at the Embry-Riddle Fall Invitational, showcasing consistency and resilience over three competitive rounds against a talented field. Led by standout efforts from Eric Klutke, Charlie Gingras, and Joaquin Salgado, the Redhawks continued to build momentum in their fall season.

Round One
The Redhawks opened the tournament with an impressive display, with three players finishing under par.

• Charlie Gingras led the way with a 70 (-2), featuring a bogey-free back nine and steady play throughout.
• Eric Klutke, Joaquin Salgado, and Joe Kelly each carded matching 71 (-1) rounds, providing excellent depth for Benedictine's team score.
• Blake Contente rounded out the lineup with a solid 73 (+1).

The strong start placed the Redhawks firmly in contention after Day 1.
Round Two
Benedictine carried its momentum into Round 2, held at the picturesque Capitol Canyon course.

• Klutke turned in a stellar 68 (-4), highlighted by six birdies and only two bogeys, propelling him up the leaderboard.
• Salgado continued his consistent form with a 70 (-2), while Gingras finished with a 76 (+4).
• Joe Kelly posted a 75 (+3), and Contente added a 74 (+2) to complete the team's scoring.

After two rounds, the Redhawks remained in the top half of the leaderboard, led by Klutke's strong performance.
Round Three
The final round brought challenging conditions and tougher pin placements, but the Redhawks battled through to close out the event on a positive note.

• Klutke stayed composed and carded a 74 (+3) to finish 4th individually — his second top-five result of the season.
• Gingras battled through the conditions for a 79 (+8), finishing tied for 6th and earning another top-10 finish.
• Salgado posted a 77 (+6) to secure a 10th-place result.
• Kelly and Contente wrapped up play with rounds of 85 (+14) and 86 (+15), finishing tied for 28th and 35th, respectively.

Final Results
The Redhawks' trio of top-10 finishes highlighted a balanced and competitive performance throughout the tournament:

• Eric Klutke – 4th (71–68–74)
• Charlie Gingras – T-6th (70–76–79)
• Joaquin Salgado – 10th (71–70–77)
• Joe Kelly – T-28th (71–75–85)
• Blake Contente – T-35th (73–74–86)

Coach's Thoughts
Head Coach John Konya praised his team's grit and determination:
"Our guys gutted it out in this event. Eric and Chris weren't at their best, as they're both battling their swings a bit right now, but I was proud of how we persevered as a group. Q was solid each round, and Joe and Blake put together a couple of good rounds as well. The winds were really strong for the third round, which made it tough to make up much ground. Fortunately, we have a little break before our final event of the fall. We'll put the time to good use and be ready."

Up Next
The Redhawks will close out their fall season on November 2 at the ACU Fall Invite.