March 10, 2014
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The University of Notre Dame men’s golf team opened its 2014 spring season on Monday in solo sixth place after the first two rounds of the Lamkin San Diego Classic at the San Diego Country Club. The Irish carded rounds of 297-293 (590, +14) to finish the first 36 holes five shots clear of seventh place Oregon State (288-307-595, +19).
Junior Tyler Wingo opened with the best Notre Dame score of the day, making three birdies and an eagle during a first round three-over-par 75. Teeing off on the back nine in round two, Wingo birdied the par 3 13th, par 5 14th and par 5 16th holes to open his second round, as part of an outward score of two-under 34.
Wingo made nine straight pars on the way in before logging a birdie at the 563-yard 8th hole. A par save at the par 4 9th hole gave the Fairfax, Va. native a three-under 69, and a share of 11th place at 144 (75-69, E).
Senior tri-captain Niall Platt bounced back from a slow start on his front nine, logging a birdie on three of the final five holes to go out in even par 36 during his morning 18. Platt closed the round with an additional birdie on the back side as part of a two-over 74. Platt moved as low as four-under par during the afternoon round, posting four birdies over an eight-hole stretch.
A string of bogeys on the inward nine knocked Platt back to a one-over 73, leaving him in a tie for 21st place after day one (74-73-147).
Junior Patrick Grahek recorded a total of six birdies during his opening 36 holes, including a three-under-par stretch on holes 14-16 during the first round. Grahek closed the first day of play in a tie for 28th place overall at five-over-par 149 (74-75). Freshman Blake Barens fired matching rounds of four-over 76 to claim a tie of 46th place (76-76-152). Classmate Matt Rushton rounded out the Irish finishers in a tie for 51st place (74-79-153).
Defending tournament champion and co-host San Diego State took the overnight lead with a combined team score of six-under 570 (283-287) to lead by two strokes over Southern California (286-286-572, -4). Michigan posted the third-best team score after rounds of 291-286-577 (+1), with Wake Forest in solo fourth place at 578 (292-286, +2) and co-host San Diego in fifth place (287-293-580, +4).
San Diego State’s Xander Schauffele gave the Aztecs a sweep at the top of the leaderboard at six-under-par 138 (67-71). USC’s Rico Hoey and San Diego’s Taylor Schmidt shared runner-up honors following matching rounds of 71-69-140, -4. Michigan’s Reed Hrynewich claimed solo fourth place at three-under 141 (71-70), and Pepperdine’s Kevin DeHuff (70-72) and San Diego State’s Nahum Mendoza III (73-69) tied for fifth place at two-under-par 142.
The third and final round of the Lamkin San Diego Classic is scheduled to begin Tuesday at 8 a.m. (PT).
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