With pressure to qualify for the national tournament increasing, the UW-Eau Claire men’s golf team is playing to win.

The team took second place out of 14 teams at the Gustie Spring Invitational Tuesday with all five Blugold golfers scoring top-23 finishes. Eau Claire shot a three-round score of 891, 11 strokes behind host Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.).

Sophomore Grant Lissick was the lone Blugold to bring home a top-10 individual score. Lissick shot 12-over par with rounds of 76, 73 and 75 in route to his eighth-place finish.

Coach Erik Anderson said he was impressed with Lissick’s game.

“He’s just been steadily improving all year,” Anderson said.

Lissick was tied for 12th after the first two rounds at 9-over on Monday, while sophomore Derek Pirkl was tied for second at 3-over.

Pirkl and freshman teammate Mike Greer each finished the invite at 226 to tie for 12th place. Pirkl shot rounds of 71, 72 and 83 while Greer shot 73, 79 and 74.

Anderson attributes the second-place finish to efforts of the entire team.

“They’ve all chipped in at times,” Anderson said. “Everyone has played a big role.”

Eau Claire’s score was rounded out by freshmen Tyler Leis’ 18th-place and Cole Stark’s 23rd-place tie.

Greer attributes the team’s success to a sense of urgency to make the national tournament.

“We knew we had to play good because we’re kind of on the borderline for nationals,” Greer said. He said the Gustie Spring Invitational was particularly important to the team since it had the opportunity to play and beat some of the regional teams – the teams it will compete against for spots at the national tournament.

The men are now preparing for the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational in Bloomington, Ill., this weekend.

Anderson said the team is progressing and has a realistic shot at making the national tournament.

“Early on in the year, everyone’s a bit rusty,” Anderson said. “They’re making fewer and fewer mistakes.”