2013 #GLVCgolf Championship Headquarters | Team | Player | Combo | Stats
COLUMBUS, Ind. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis holds a six-stroke advantage over Bellarmine University following the first two rounds of the 2013 Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Golf Championship. The Tritons enter Monday’s final round of stroke play looking to secure one of four match play positions, which would provide them the chance to play for their first-ever GLVC Championship on Tuesday at Otter Creek Golf Club in Columbus, Ind.
After owning a three-stroke advantage following a 293 in the opening round, which was delayed nearly two hours due to heavy frost in the Columbus area, UMSL doubled that lead to six shots with an afternoon 292 to sit atop the leaderboard at 585. Bellarmine (296-295—591) and Indianapolis (303-293—596) sit second and third, while Lewis (312-285—597) surged into fourth in the afternoon following a tournament-best 285, an improvement of 27 strokes in just a matter of hours.
Currently on the outside looking in for one of the coveted Tuesday match-play spots is UW-Parkside (301-301—602), Quincy (299-308—607), Saint Joseph’s (310-303—613), Southern Indiana (309-309—618), Drury (309-310—619) and Rockhurst (310-310-620) rounding out the top 10. Tied for 11th overall is Maryville (312-317—629) and Illinois Springfield (315-314—629), while Kentucky Wesleyan (310-320—630) and William Jewell (316-325—641) are 13th and 14th, respectively.
UMSL was paced all day by a pair of bookends in the lineup as No. 5 player Chase Smith was the only player to turn in a pair of sub-par rounds on the day, firing a 1-under-par 71 before turning in a 3-under 69 in the afternoon. Smith sits first overall in the individual race at 140, three strokes ahead of teammate and UMSL’s No. 1 player Joe Atkisson (70-73—143). Rockhurst’s Tanner Bulejski (72-72—144) and Lewis’ Harrison Carmichael (75-69—144) are tied for third, while Bellarmine’s Bryan Ratterman (71-74—145) and Lewis’ Alex Thode (76-69—145) are tied for fifth overall.
A total of nine rounds were turned in under par on Sunday, including six red-numbered figures in the afternoon led by a trio of 69s.
Monday’s final round of stroke play will determine the GLVC Champion in the individual race. No UMSL or Rockhurst player has ever captured medalist honors at the conference meet, while Lewis and Bellarmine, which make up three of the top-six individuals with 18 holes to play, have combined for eight GLVC medalist honors, including six for Lewis, which ranks third all-time in league history.
At the conclusion of the 54 holes of stroke play, the top-four teams will advance to match play competition on Tuesday, featuring two 18-hole semifinal contests in the morning followed by an 18-hole medal/match play final in the afternoon.
Golfers will attempt to take to the Otter Creek layout at 8 a.m. ET on Monday, however another surface of frost is expected to hinder the start of the final round. Stay tuned to GLVCsports.com/GLVCmgolf13 for more information or follow live updates on the conference’s official Twitter handle @GLVCsports, hashtag #GLVCgolf.