April 13, 2010

Final Results

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Northern Illinois men's golf team completed Tuesday's competition at the University of Missouri's Columbia Orthopaedic Group OG Mizzou Intercollegiate by scoring a final round 308 for a ninth place finish at the 54-hole 15-team event.

With their 20-over-par 901 at The Club at Old Hawthorne, the Huskies finished three strokes behind Mid-American Conference opponent Ball State, while finishing ahead of South Dakota State, Belmont, Oral Roberts, Northern Iowa, Creighton and IUPUI. Nebraska won the event with an 857 (-13) at the par 72, 7,221-yard course.

Jeff Dick led NIU by posting his third top-20 finish of the spring season, finishing tied for 20th (72 | 75 | 74 | 221 (+5)) after passing teammate Griffin Bauman, who tied for 23rd (74 | 69 | 79 | 222 (+6)). The final three Huskies, Paul Hammerschmidt, Greg Pohlmann and Bryce Emory, each totaled a 231 (+15) to finish in a tie for 56th. Hammerschmidt ended the day with a 77 after shooting a 76 and 78 yesterday. Pohlmann shot a 79 after compiling a 78 and 74. In his first spring event, Emory scored a 78 after a 75 and 78 in the first two rounds. Following a four-hole playoff, Kansas State's Curtis Yonke took the top individual spot with a stroke total of 211 (69 | 71 | 71 | -5).

"Our inexperience showed today with the three freshmen and sophomore," said NIU head men's golf coach Tom Porten. "The course was set up to be really challenging today. We just couldn't get the ball on the spots on the green to make birdies, and sometimes to even make pars. We just never got it going today, but I'm pleased with how we hung around all day. We had a couple birdies at the end, but it was too little, too late. You always want to beat a conference opponent, especially with the MAC Championships coming up.

"I saw some good signs out there today from each one of the guys, though, and we look forward to keep getting better as we head to Iowa this weekend."

NIU returns to action at the University of Iowa's Hawkeye Invitational Saturday and Sunday.