Many important discoveries have been made in the desert. The Pyramids of Giza. The Rosetta Stone.

Northwestern golfer Tom Johnson made an important discovery of his own this weekend in the Arizona desert – his game.

Johnson, who has struggled at times since the beginning of the spring season, shot a 5-under 211 at the PING-U.S. Intercollegiate Championships in Tucson, Ariz., placing fifth overall. The score was his best performance of the spring and was NU’s bright spot in a ninth-place team finish.

“I feel like I’ve been searching for (my game) since the first spring tournaments,” Johnson said. “I think I’m out (of my slump) for good.”

Johnson’s best performance of the three-day event came on the first day of competition, when he shot a career-best 5-under 67.

The Wildcats also got a strong showing from Casey Strunk, who, in his first tournament of the year, shot a 2-under 70 on the third day of competition.

The Cats were sixth in the 10-team tournament after the first day, and NU coach Pat Goss was in high spirits.

“Conditions were perfect,” Goss said. “It was there for the taking.”

Goss said the solid first day made him confident that the Cats could compete with teams like No. 1 Georgia Tech, which placed fourth after the first day.

But poor weather – namely high winds and sandstorms – on the second day hurt the Cats.

NU coach Pat Goss thought that after practicing in Chicago, his golfers would have no problem dealing with the poor conditions.

“We played like we’ve never played in the wind before,” Goss said. “We played like fools.”

Strunk was 4 under before the wind and sandstorms hit but “got killed in the wind,” Goss said.

NU’s Chris Thayer and Scott Harrington were hit particularly hard after the second day. Thayer had NU’s best score at last week’s Morris Williams Intercollegiate in Austin, Texas.

Harrington was plagued by big numbers the whole tournament, Goss said.

The Cats rallied Sunday, posting a team-best 1-under 287, placing them ninth overall. But it wasn’t enough to move them up the standings.

Despite its poor finish, Goss said the tournament was an important first step for NU to get back on track.

With the strong performance from Johnson, Strunk and T.C. Ford, who was competing as a non-rostered individual, Goss said the tournament was the first time his team showed depth.

“The new intrasquad competition should elevate everyone’s game,” Goss said.

Johnson said he thinks the team’s confidence level will be higher because of the tournament.

“We were pretty dismal after the first few tournaments,” Johnson said.

He added that the strong outings on the first and third days of the tournament made it seem like good scores were still possible.

This shot of confidence will prove to be crucial for the Cats as they enter Big Ten play this week at the Kepler Intercollegiate in Columbus, Ohio, Goss said.

NU’s performance at the event will weigh heavily on their NCAA ranking since it will be facing Big Ten and district opponents.

Also the site of the NCAA championships later this spring, the Ohio State course puts added pressure on Goss, who has never coached a team that placed worse than second at the Kepler Intercollegiate.

Goss said the key to success for the next few weeks is “not so much playing great golf, but controlling your bad golf.”