Just average. That’s how Northwestern coach Pat Goss described the golf team’s play over spring break.

Placing fifth in a field of sixteen at the Barona Intercollegiate Cup in San Diego, the Wildcats were led by sophomore Eric Chun and junior Josh Dupont, who finished with scores of 3-over-219, good enough for 17th-place finishes. The Cats entered final round play in fourth place before losing ground to No. 1 Oregon.

“Overall I was pleased with our functionality as a team,” Goss said. “Obviously we weren’t firing on all cylinders, but it was a decent effort against a pretty good field.”

It was the Cats’ third top-half finish through three tournaments this spring. The season started off with a bang as NU captured the Big Ten Match Play Championship, but with fourth- and fifth-place finishes at the Puerto Rico Classic and Barona, respectively, Goss says he’s looking for more from his golfers.

“We’re only playing decent golf,” Goss said. “These past two tournaments we’ve played alright, but we’ve got the potential to do more. This team can win tournament championships, and our play at times hasn’t always reflected that fact.”

Still, after a fall marred by mixed results, the Cats have started to play more consistently.

“A lot of us have just gotten into playing mode,” Chun said. “We got a lot of work on our strokes in over the winter, and now we’re playing fairly well. We need to keep improving our game.”

Besides focusing on the next two tournaments before Big Ten play resumes, Chun has had a lot on his plate. Earlier in March, Chun sank a six-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the International Final Qualifying Championship to earn fourth place in the tournament and a berth in the British Open this July.

“That was the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life,” Chun said of his clutch putt. “It was a routine putt, but I knew what was at stake. I don’t think it has sunk in in my mind quite yet.”

At the midpoint of the spring schedule, Goss says he hasn’t settled on a definite lineup for the upcoming Big Ten matches, but he noted that he’s been impressed by the play of Chun and seniors David Lipsky and Jonathan Bowers.

“There’s plenty of golf left to be played, and I’m looking for our guys to get back into a strong routine and perform to our strength and ability,” he said.

The Cats return to tournament action at the Kepler Intercollegiate April 10-11.[email protected]