Ducks Slip in Standings After a Rough Second Round
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Oregon men’s golf team headed into Sunday’s round just 4-over par as a team through the first 18 holes at Prairie Dunes Country Club, but the second round played out much different than what head coach Casey Martin and the Ducks had wanted. UO finished the round with a 17-over 297 card and was relegated to the 25th spot heading into the third and final round of stroke play at the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships.
Brandon McIver had the best score for UO, firing in a 2-over 72 card. The sophomore had a solid day, hitting par on 15-straight holes before he bogeyed the last hole on the par-4 ninth hole.
Yesterday’s leader, Zach Foushee, wasn’t able to replicate yesterday’s score and tied with Jonathan Woo for a team-high 76 card. Foushee was 2-over on the back nine after shooting a double-bogey on the par-5 17th hole. The sophomore then lipped a putt on the second hole for bogey before sinking back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes. However, Foushee finished his last five holes with three bogeys and a double-bogey on the eighth hole.
Woo continued to struggle on the links, shooting 3-over on both the front and back nine.
Thomas Lim was even par through his first seven holes thanks to an 8-foot putt on the 16th, but the freshman shot a double-bogey the very next hole to go 2-over heading into the turn. Lim didn’t fare much better on the front nine, as he hit a pair of bogeys on the first and sixth holes before hitting a double-bogey on the par-4 fifth hole.
Sulman Raza shot one stroke better on the second round, carding 4-over 74. Raza got as low as 1-over on two different occasions, but double-bogeys on the fourth and eighth holes along with a bogey on his final hole left the sophomore with a 74.
Teams that played today turned right back around Sunday and started their third round under a shotgun format after the National Collegiate Athletic Association issued the following statement after the conclusion of the second round.
“Due to weather conditions, Round 4 of competition (low 40 individuals and ties) at the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships has been cancelled. Every effort is going to be made for all 156 players to complete 54 holes. After completion of the second-round today, teams 16-30 and high three individuals will begin third round play in a shotgun format approximately 40 minutes after the completion of round two. There is a limited amount of time to complete this half of the round (teams 16-30 and three higher individuals). If play is unable to be completed in that window, all scores in that round will be declared null and void. In such a case, round three will be repaired to include only teams 1-15 and the six low individuals not on those teams (based on non-sudden death tie breaking procedures) to determine the eight teams for match play and the individual champion.”
Play was officially suspended by the NCAA Championships Committee at 5:34 p.m. (PT) with Oregon shooting 4-under through 8-9 holes and sitting in 23rd-place. The Ducks will resume play at 5:30 a.m. (PT) on Monday, May 26.