Sept. 29, 2014
BRIDGMAN, Mich. – An even par 71 by University of Notre Dame men’s golf junior Cory Sciupider earned him a share of the individual tournament lead after round two of the 2014 Fighting Irish Golf Classic at Lost Dunes Golf Club on Monday. Sciupider, playing as an unattached competitor during Notre Dame’s home event, carded scores of 67-71 over his first 36 holes to tie Ball State’s McCormick Clouser (66-72) for the tournament lead at four-under-par 138.
In the team competition, the Fighting Irish slipped back to the pack after a brilliant first round one-over-par 285 on Sunday at the Warren Golf Course gave Notre Dame a one-shot overnight lead. A cumulative score of 302 at Lost Dunes knocked the Fighting Irish back to fifth place (285-302=587), but only three strokes out of the solo third position.
“We had a tough day, really struggling to execute what is simple stuff for any team,” Notre Dame head coach Jim Kubinski said. “That happens on occasion in this game though. We have to leave today in the past and come out tomorrow with an eye on playing the the way we can play. (Tournament leader) Michigan State beat us by a bunch today but we can return the favor tomorrow. Our team can put 18 holes together and make a run.”
Sciupider kicked his day into high gear early in the front nine, rolling in an eagle on the par 5, 525-yard fourth hole to go to two-under on his round. A pair of birdies at the par 4 seventh and the par 3 ninth holes offset a lone bogey on the card for Sciupider, sending him out with a score of 32 (-3) on the front side.
Sciupider would find trouble to start his second nine, as bogeys at the 10th and 11th holes slid him back to one-under-par on the day. The Etowah, North Carolina native would answer quickly with birdies at the par 3 13th and par 5 15th holes to steady the round. A double bogey at the par 4 17th hole and a closing bogey at No. 18 capped Sciupider’s even par 71 to match Ball State’s Clouser at the top of the leaderboard. Sciupider is tied with Michigan State’s Charlie Netzel in total birdies (12) among all 50 players in the field after the opening 36 holes.
Freshman Thomas Steve paced all members of the Notre Dame starting five on Monday, carding a two-over 73 for a share of ninth place heading into the final round (71-73=144, +2). Steve posted three birdies over a five-hole stretch, logging red numbers at the 603-yard 8th and 500-yard 10th holes to go along with a birdie at the par 4 12th to claw back to even par. A pair of bogeys on the inward nine dropped the Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania native to a level par 36 on the back side and his second day 73.
Sophomore Matthew Rushton looked to turn the tide following a three-over-par 38 on the front nine of Monday’s round, notching birdies at the par 5 10th and par 4 11th holes to build momentum on the home half of his scorecard. Five bogeys in seven holes, offset by a birdie at the 450-yard 17th hole, dropped Rushton to a five-over-par 76. The Cape Town, South Africa native tied two other players in 11th place at 145 (69-76, +3).
Senior Patrick Grahek birdied three holes as part of a second round four-over-par 75, checking in tied for 18th place at 147 (72-75). Sophomore Blake Barens, competing unattached along with Sciupider, played the par 5s at Lost Dunes in a combined two-under-par during a second round 73 to tie for 21st place (75-73=148).
Other Notre Dame scores through two rounds included freshman individual Jens Verhey in a tie for 26th place (70-80=150), senior Tyler Wingo with a share of 31st place (73-78=151), senior individual David Lowe climbed into a tie for 43rd place (78-77=155), and sophomore Liam Cox (76-82) and junior individual Zach Toste (81-77) tied one another for 46th place at 158.
Michigan State opened a commanding seven-stroke lead following an even par team score of 284 on Monday, staying put at four-over-par 572 (288-284) while rising two places on the leaderboard. Long Beach State remained in second place at 579 (286-293) followed by the biggest mover of the day in Davidson, which climbed four places to third place at 585 (300-285). Ball State finished just one stroke ahead of Notre Dame at 586 (293-293) for solo fourth place.
Loyola`s Brendan Peel (70-70) and Michigan State’s Netzel (72-68) tied for third place at two-under-par 140 in the individual draw. Four players, Lamar’s Mans Berglund (71-72), Loyola’s Matt Oshrine (68-75), Long Beach State’s Kevin Lee (67-76) and Michigan State individual Michael Sharp (71-72) enter the final round five shots back at 143.
The third and final round of the Fighting Irish Golf Classic is scheduled to get under way at 8:30 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday at the Warren Golf Course. Live tournament results will be available via GolfStat.com.
Fighting Irish Golf Classic-Lost Dunes Golf Club-Par-71, 6,872 Yds.
TEAMS (After Round 2): 1. Michigan State 288-284=572, +4; 2. Long Beach State 286-293=579, +11; 3. Davidson 300-285=585, +17; 4. Ball State 293-293=586, +18; 5. Notre Dame 285-302=587, +19; 6. Loyola (Md.) 289-299=588, +20; 7. Lamar 294-297=591, +23; 8. Florida Gulf Coast 303-289=592, +24.
TOP-10 INDIVIDUALS (After Round 2): T1. Cory Sciupider (Notre Dame) 67-71=138, -4; T1. McCormick Clouser (Ball State) 66-72=138, -4; T3. Brendan Peel (Loyola) 70-70=140, -2; T3. Charlie Netzel (Michigan State) 72-68=140, -2; T5. Matt Oshrine (Loyola) 68-75=143, +1; T5. Mans Berglund (Lamar) 71-72=143, +1; T5. Kevin Lee (Long Beach State) 67-76=143, +1; T5. Michael Sharp (Michigan State) 71-72=143, +1; T9. Casper Howells (Florida Gulf Coast) 75-69=144, +2; T9. Thomas Steve (Notre Dame) 71-73=144, +2.
NOTRE DAME INDIVIDUALS (After Round 2): T1. *Cory Sciupider 67-71=138, -4; T9. Thomas Steve 71-73=144, +2 T11. Matt Rushton 69-76=145, +3; T18. Patrick Grahek 72-75=147, +5 T21. *Blake Barens 75-73=148, +6; T26. *Jens Verhey 70-80=150, +8; T31. Tyler Wingo 73-78=151, +9; T43. *David Lowe 78-77=155, +13; T46. Liam Cox 76-82=158, +16; T46. *Zach Toste 81-77=158, +16.
*- Played as an individual