The Wildcat golf team got back on the course this week to open their spring season and came away with sixth, their 25th straight top-7 finish. For ACU, this tournament was about shaking off some rust from the

Played at the TPC of Louisiana, the UNO Mardi Gras Invitational pitted some of the best Division II golf teams against each other to open up the 2012 slate. For ACU, this tournament was about shaking off some rust from the winter break.

“It always a little hard not playing for the Christmas break, then coming back and playing an event,” junior Alex Carpenter said.

The seventh in the nation ‘Cats shot a team total of 898 for their three rounds, good enough for sixth out of 15 teams. North Alabama, No. 11 in the nation, won the event with a low score of 880.

ACU’s highest finisher was Carpenter, the reigning Div. II Player of the Year. Carpenter finished fourth just two over par with rounds of 74-70-74. Sophomore Trey Sullivan was tied for 13th with rounds of 73-76-74.

For Carpenter it was a good start to his 2012.

“I played pretty solid all week and only made a few mistakes, but those proved to be just a little too much to overcome,” Carpenter said. “There are a lot of positives to take, and it was a good start to the spring season.”

Every April the PGA Tour holds the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana. Although Carpenter has already played a couple of PGA Tour events as an amateur, he says it was big for the rest of the team to get the experience of playing on a professional course.

“The course was hard, but I think our guys handled it well,” Carpenter said. “They learned a lot they can use for the future.”

The spring will be important for the ACU golfers as they look to claim their first NCAA National Championship in golf. Last spring the Wildcats got close, losing in the semi-finals and placing third.

Their next event will be March 5-6 at the Grey Rock Golf Club in Austin for the St. Edward’s Invitational.