May 18, 2007
Results
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. -
Senior Matt Miller continued to lead the Illinois State men's golf team, finishing the second day of the NCAA Central Regional tied for 23rd place at Rich Harvest Links in Sugar Grove, Ill. The Redbirds ended the day in 15th place, improving one spot on the leaderboard and finishing with a team total of 614 (317, 297).
Miller finished the second-round with a total of 150 (74, 76). The Redbirds head into Saturday's final-round within striking distance of qualifying for the NCAA Championship, only seven shots back of a top-10 finish.
Head coach Ray Kralis was proud of the way the Redbirds were able to compete during the second-round, believing that the team is in position to finish in the top-10.
"The weather was more conditioned to scoring today," said Kralis. "The winds weren't as strong and we got off to a great start. With this golf course, it's so demanding from start to finish. There's really no point where you can let up or feel comfortable, so we needed every shot that we got in those early holes. From a team standpoint, we are where we wanted to be and I couldn't be prouder of the way the guys handled themselves and battled this golf course. Looking at the big picture, the guys are battling and right in the mix and going into the last day with an opportunity to earn a bid to the national championship."
Freshman Drew Miller finished the round tied for 48th, shooting a total of 153 (79, 74). Freshman Tommy Bliefnick ended the day tied for 66th and fired a score of 155 (81, 74). Sophomore Ben Murphy completed the second-round with a total of 159 (86, 73) and tied for 96th. Rounding out the lineup, sophomore Joe Emerich shot a tally of 163 (83, 80) and finished tied for 118th.
Tulsa ended the day in the lead, firing a team score of 585 (305, 280). Louisville (592) finished in second, while Lamar ended the round in third with a total of 594. Alabama (596) sits in fourth place, and Tennessee rounded out the top five with a score of 603 (314, 289).
Lamar's Dawie Van Der Walt holds the individual lead after two rounds, finishing the day with a total of four-under-par 140 (71, 69).
The top-10 teams will qualify for the national championship, as well as the top-two individuals not on the qualifying squads. Saturday's final-round will begin with tee times at 7:18 a.m.
For live, hole-by-hole results during the final-round, please visit www.golfstat.com.
