APALACHIN, N.Y. — The golf team set a program record for the lowest single-round team score with a 10-under-par 278 on Monday, vaulting the Big Red up three spots to a final position of third at the Matthews Auto Collegiate Invitational at The Links at Hiawatha Landing.
 
All four of Cornell's counting scores in the final round were even par or better – also a program first – and juniors Josh Lundmark (72-68—140) and Samuel King (75-66—141) plunged deep into red numbers to third and tied for fourth, respectively, in the 36-hole tournament hosted by Binghamton. Adding in senior Gus Lascola, who also finished tied for fourth, the Big Red placed three within the top eight individuals in the field of 82.
 
The record-breaking day vaulted Cornell up four places for a final score of 3-under-par 573, trailing just champion Mount St. Mary's (562) and Colgate (570). Host Binghamton (575) and Temple (576) rounded out the top five in a field of 14 teams and 13 individuals.
 
King highlighted the Big Red's day with a 66 that tied the Big Red's record for lowest tournament round – though he is the first Cornellian to post a loop of 6-under par in competition. The two previous 66s were both carded on par-71 tracks – first by by Mike Graboyes '18 in the first round of the 2018 Princeton Invitational, then matched the following year by (Jack) Tianyi Cen '19 in the first round of the 2018 Cornell Invitational.

A strong start powered King on Monday, first with a birdie on the par-3 third. He then caught fire around the turn, stringing together three birdies around an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole. He then neutralized his only two bogeys with birdies on the par-3 13th and par-5 finishing hole.
 
Like King, Lundmark's round and individual finish were collegiate bests – and like the Big Red's primary team, demolition of the course's four par-5 holes was a big reason why. Lundmark was 4-under on par 5s on Monday and had one of Cornell's field-leading four eagles on the day. The Big Red was 20-under par to lead the field on three-shotters throughout the event.
 
Cornell's last eagle came from junior Benjamin Choe on his final hole of the day, leaving him at 71-72—143 and in a tie for 14th. Freshman Tyler Zimmer had the Big Red's other counting score with another 72 that featured five birdies and an eagle.
 
Add it all up and the round is Cornell's best ever both in relation to par and total team score, which is determined by taking the top four rounds of five pre-determined competitors. The previous mark was a 4-under-par 280 in the final round of the 2017 Cornell Invitational.
 
Due to the close proximity to Ithaca, Cornell fielded a 'B' team that finished in 12th place with a score of 304-301—605, highlighted by junior Martin Gutierrez. With eight birdies on the day, Gutierrez set career marks with round of 69 and an individual finish of tied for 14th.
 
Among the field's 13 individual entries, Lascola had the best finish with a field-leading 28 pars en route to a tie for fourth place at 69-72—141. All three of his birdies on Monday came on par 5s, helping Lascola to his best collegiate finish.
 
Cornell finishes up the fall portion of its schedule Monday, when it competes at the Columbia Autumn Invitational at Wiltwyck in Kingston.