University of Oregon
Tumble Creek Golf Course
Ducks Tied For Second at Husky Invitational
09/22/15 | Men's Golf
CLE ELUM, Wash. - After the first two rounds of play at the Husky Invitational, the Oregon men's golf team sits in a tie for second at 15-over par with Washington and five strokes back from leader Oregon State.
How It Happened: Led by strong first-round performances by Sulman Raza and Aaron Wise, Oregon held the top spot on the leaderboard at the conclusion of the first round of play with a 4-over 288.
In addition to his eagle on the par-5 14, Raza, a Eugene native, drained four birdies in Monday's first round on his way to a 3-under 68. Wise matched Raza's score with a 68 of his own to help the Ducks hold Oregon State and Washington each a stroke back heading into the afternoon's second round.
After a first round that saw Oregon convert 16 birdies and two eagles, the course proved to be stingier for the Ducks on the front nine of the second round. Oregon shot a combined 20-over on the front nine to put themselves well behind the lead heading into the turn; however, the Ducks would regain their composure on the back end, sinking 11 birdies in the final six holes to get within five strokes of leader Oregon State by the end of the day.
Wise continued his momentum from his first round into his second, posting a 1-under 70 to get to 4-under and claim a share of the No. 3 spot on the player leaderboard heading into the third and final round on Tuesday.
After a strong first 18 holes, Raza struggled to find that same rhythm in his second round. The junior shot a 6-over 77 in his second round to fall to 3-over par, but still sits tied for seventh overall.
Junior Thomas Lim recovered from a tough 6-over first round with a 1-under performance in his second to move himself into a tie for 14th overall.
Sophomore Andrew Bonner added to his first-round 77 with a 76 to bring him to 11-over for the tournament, while junior Nigel Lett turned in an 8-over 79 to finish the day at 14-over for the tournament.
What It Means: After a tough stretch early in the second round, the Ducks played their way back to within striking distance of leader Oregon State heading into the final 18. Oregon found itself in a similar situation at last year's Husky Invitational, sitting in a tie for third place and four shots off the lead after two rounds of play. Oregon rallied late in that final round with an eagle and five birdies on the final three holes to clinch a share of the championship.
If the capable Ducks are to repeat that effort tomorrow, they will have to jump an Oregon State team that played as consistently as any other team in the field on Monday, while also holding off talented, top-20 opponents in USC and Washington. The Ducks will be up to the challenge and will look to give themselves the opportunity to take home Husky Invitational hardware for the second year in a row.
Husky Individual Results: Seeing his first collegiate action, freshman Edwin Yi led the three Ducks competing in the Husky Individual on Monday with a 2-over mark through the first two rounds of play. After starting his first round off with two birdies through his first four holes, Yi faltered with six bogeys on the remaining 14. The Beaumont, Calif., native would respond in his second round, however, and post a 2-under 70 to put himself in third place and within two strokes of the leader.
Senior Zach Foushee sits tied for seventh at 6-over on the individual leaderboard. Foushee had a solid performance in his first round with a 1-under 71, but was unable to carry over that momentum in his second round, carding a 79.
Also appearing in his first collegiate tournament is freshman Sam Foust. In his first round, Foust carded a 3-over 75, but a couldn't repeat the effort in his second, where he shot 12-over.
