The post-Luke Donald era didn’t begin as well as the Northwestern men’s golf team had hoped. The Wildcats finished in last place at the two-day Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship, ending with a score of 915, 51 strokes and 14 places behind the champion Florida Gators.

After Monday’s first round, NU fell back with a 23-over-par team score. The Cats played better in the second round of the day, attaining a 14-over-301 to move up to 12th place.

Although the Cats stayed consistent Tuesday, finishing with a 16-over-303, most of the other teams improved. NU was the only team to shoot over 300, sending it into 15th place.

The Cats were led by sophomore Tom Johnson, who tied for 39th with an 11-over-227 on the par-72 course. He shot an opening-round 79 and followed with a second-round score of 72, the best of any NU player.

The departure of Donald, the 1999 NCAA national champion, doesn’t explain the team’s struggle, said sophomore T.C. Ford. In fact, he thinks NU has improved this year.

“Luke was a great player,” Ford said. “But we feel we have more depth this year. We just have to put it together.”

The Cats ended up struggling in areas where they are usually sharp, Ford said.

“Since we practice indoors, we have to focus more on things like putting and chipping,” Ford said. “I know I had trouble with those things.”

Junior Scott Harrington finished tied for 51st after rounds of 75-77-79. Ford matched Harrington’s final tally and had the second-best round of anybody on the team with a third-round 74.

Bjorn Widerstedt, a junior transfer from Flagler College, rounded things out for NU, finishing one stroke behind Harrington and Ford with rounds of 77-76-79.

The Cats head to Puerto Rico next week to play in the NCAA Puerto Rican classic.