NORMAL, IL – Senior Matt Cholod (Courtice, Ontario/Morehead State) led the Northern Illinois University men's golf team with a third-place finish in Monday's Duel At D.A., hosted by Illinois State at Weibring Golf Club.
 
"It was good to get a day of competition on the road before we head to Augusta," said head coach Tom Porten. "Matt, Russell Matos and Salvador Rocha were good all day in cold and windy conditions."
 
Cholod was one-over par through his first nine holes in his opening round Monday, then birdied three of the first four holes on the back nine to get to two-under par. He finished his first round with an even par 71, which put him in the lead. Cholod was one-over par through his first four holes in the afternoon and got back into the red with back-to-back birdies at two and three. After a stretch of four bogeys in five holes, Cholod birdied the par-four 12^th to get to two-over for his final round. Cholod finished the tournament with a two-over par 144, tying with Illinois State's Andrew O'Brien and Dave Perkins. The Redbirds' Joel Dumford won the event with a two-under par 140.
 
Salvador Rocha (Mexico City, Mexico/American School Foundation) and Russell Matos (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard South) tied for seventh at four-over par. Matos was fourth after round one with a two-over 73, carding four birdies in the round. He posted another 73 in the afternoon to finish with a 36-hole score of 146. Rocha improved by four strokes from his morning round to the afternoon, carding an even-par 71 in the final round.
 
Jordan Less (Elmhurst, Ill./York) had back-to-back rounds of 74 to finish in ninth with a 36-hole score of six-over par 148. Thomas DeMarco (LaSalle, Ontario/Morehead State) and Paul Schlimm (Shorewood, Ill./St. Francis [Ill.]) were right behind Less in 10^th place. Both golfers posted rounds of 76 in the morning and 73 in the afternoon to post scores of seven-over par 149.
 
NIU is back in action this weekend at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational, hosted by Augusta University April 6-7 at Forest Hills Golf Club.
 
--NIU--