By: Tim Flynn

Las Vegas Desert Classic [Live Leaderboard] 

Sunday-Tuesday, Boulder City, Nev. – Boulder Creek GC

Hosted by Missouri-St. Louis

MINES HEADS TO NEVADA FOR SPRING OPENER
After the cancelation of the SoCo Intercollegiate on Feb. 17, this week’s Las Vegas Desert Classic will mark the true opening of the spring season for Colorado School of Mines golf as the Orediggers take on some of the nation’s best. The three-day, 54-hole tournament tees off at 12:30 p.m. PT on Sunday. A live leaderboard is available on Scoreboard.

THE TOURNAMENT

The Las Vegas Desert Classic has been one of the premiere tournaments in NCAA Division II, and this year’s edition will be no different with 10 teams in the latest Scoreboard top 25 and six of the top 10 teams in attendance: #1 Colorado Christian, #2 North Georgia, #4 West Florida, #6 Oklahoma Christian, #7 Lincoln Memorial, #8 Lee,  #13 Florida Southern, #17 St. Mary’s, #23 Colorado Mesa, and the host #25 Missouri-St. Louis.

THE FORECAST

Temperatures will be in the 60s with sunshine all three days, but Sunday’s windy conditions could challenge players with afternoon winds at 25 mph gusting to 40.

THE COURSE

Situated in southeastern Nevada between Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam, Boulder Creek was built in 2003 and is a frequent tournament host, including Monday qualifying for The Shriners Childrens’ Open and the 2024 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship. Mines is no stranger to Boulder Creek, playing there three times over the past two seasons including the 2024 RMAC Championships (and it will host the 2025 edition, as well). 

LAST TIME OUT

Mines hasn’t played since Oct. 15 when they finished fifth at the Otter Invitational in California. Lukas Taggart led Mines in a tie for 14th at +1, with Lucas Schulte a career-best T21 and Max Lange T44. Colt Tenpenny finished strongly to get to T76, and Carter Lolli was T70 overall. 

LOOKING AHEAD

Mines will host the Hot Dirt Desert Shootout on March 21, then The Stack Cougar-Burro Collegiate co-hosted with CCU on March 23-25 both in the Phoenix area. 

 

MINES PROJECTED LINEUP
1. Colt Tenpenny (Jr.)
Led Mines in scoring in the fall at 73.3 … Top finish was 6th at the Ryan Palmer Foundation Invite.
2. Lukas Taggart (Jr.)
Finished the fall with consecutive top-20s coming 16th at the Ryan Palmer Foundation Invite and T14 at the Otter Invitational.
3. Lucas Schulte (Sr.)
Finished the fall a career-best T21 at the Otter Invitational including a career-low round of 67
4. Max Lange (Jr.)
Top fall finish was T13 in The Writz at Mile High … Mines’ top returner from last year’s Desert Classic, finishing T40.
5. Theodore Reitter (Sr.)
Appeared in one fall tournament, finishing T38 in The Writz at Mile High