Queen’s golf teams faced stiff competition at the OUA Golf Championships. The men excelled, while the women were consigned to a different fate.

The men’s team placed fifth of 16 teams, six strokes behind the champion Western Mustangs.

Queen’s men didn’t reach the podium after winning the silver medal in 2011, but their overall score improved. The team’s five members combined to finish in 594 strokes — down from 600 last year.

“The calibre of university golf is getting better and better,” said head coach Bert Kea. “The players are getting better and they’re scoring [lower].”

The two-round tournament was held in Waterloo on Monday and Tuesday. Each men’s team featured five golfers, whose total scores were pooled to determine the team champion.

Second-year Echo Chan had Queen’s best individual result, tying for ninth overall on the men’s leaderboard. He was named a second-team OUA All-Star after shooting +4 — his best collegiate performance to date, according to Kea.

Chan finished in a tie for 45th as a rookie at last year’s OUA championship.

“In my opinion, he’s the most improved player on the team,” Kea said. “I was really happy for him, to put two [strong] games together and help us get where we are.”

Queen’s Russell Bowie, last year’s OUA bronze-medalist, finished in a tie for 12th, one stroke behind Chan.

Guelph’s Chris Hemmerich won the individual men’s title, finishing at -5 and improving on his silver medal finish from 2011.

Hemmerich competed for Canada at the World University Golf Championship in Liberec, Czech Republic this past July, where he was coached by Kea.

“[He’s] one of the top players in Canada,” Kea said.

Queen’s OUA performance qualified them for the Canadian University/College Championship in May 2013.

While Kea said the berth to nationals is a big step for the men’s program, Queen’s women lagged well behind their competition in Waterloo.

The Gaels placed last overall, finishing ninth with a combined score of 563 strokes.

The Toronto Varsity Blues secured the team championship, completing the tournament in 98 fewer strokes than Queen’s.

Alexandra Rawn led the Gaels with an individual score of +38, finishing in a tie for 21st. Rawn and Jennifer Kates are Queen’s lone returning golfers from last year’s championship, following the departure of former captain Hailey Ingleson.

As the women continue to rebuild, their counterparts could be poised for a return to the OUA podium in the near future. Of the five Gaels men who competed in Waterloo, only team captain Taylor Henderson is set to graduate.

“I have a feeling we’re continually trying to improve, and I think we will,” Kea said.