Nov. 4, 2008

CordeValle Collegiate Day Two Results

SAN MARTIN, Calif. -- Northwestern made a six-shot improvement over its opening round score with a 16-over 376 Tuesday during the second round of the three-day CordeValle Collegiate, turning in the fifth-best team total of the day to remain in ninth place in the event at 38-over 758 (382-376).

After struggling over the final three holes as a team Monday, NU finished very strong in Tuesday's round. The six Wildcats joined forces to play the final six holes of the day in a combined 4-under par, closing the gap with the rest of the field.

Northwestern now is two shots behind eighth-place Coastal Carolina and 12 shots out of fourth place entering Wednesday's final round. NU is nine shots in front of 10th-place Arizona. USC is running away with the team title, finishing the day at 1-under par through two rounds, 19 strokes better than second-place Stanford.

Dramatic movement is possible in the standings due to the tournament's format, with six competitors from each team playing and five scores from those individuals counting in the team total. Generally, collegiate tournaments are played in a five count four format.

Freshman Eric Chun (Ansung City, South Korea/International Christian School) remains in the top-10, currently standing in 10th place at 1-over 145 (72-73). Chun's second-round 73 featured three birdies in his final six holes and five birdies total for the day.

Junior David Lipsky (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) recovered twice from early trouble on both nines Tuesday to enter the final round at 2-over 146 (72-74) and in 12th place in the individual standings. On the front, Lipsky played holes 4-6 in 4-over par before carding consecutive birdies on Nos. 7 and 8. Again on the back, Lipsky began with a bogey and a double-bogey on the first two holes before notching three birdies over the final six holes to finish his day strong.

Junior Jonathan Bowers (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) is in 50th place at 10-over 154 (79-75) after posting a four-stroke improvement Tuesday over his first-round total. Bowers went out in 3-over and had a double-bogey on No. 13 before finishing strong with birdies at No. 16 and No. 18 to earn a 3-over 75.

Junior Matt Denison (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) also had a four-stroke improvement Tuesday over his first-round score, carding a 4-over 76 to go with his Monday total of 8-over 80. Denison is in 57th place as an individual with a 36-hole total of 12-over 156. Denison joined Chun, Lipksy and Bowers in birdying the final hole Tuesday.

Rounding out the Wildcats' contingent were sophomore Ravi Patel (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley), who is 61st with a 13-over 157 (79-78), and senior Andy DeKeuster (Franksville, Wis./Racine Lutheran), who sits in 66th place with a 14-over 158 (80-78).

Tee times for the final round of the tournament begin at 10 a.m. CT tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 5, with live results available at Golfstat.com.