Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
NYX Hoosier Invitational
Northwestern, Jack Perry In Lead at NYX Hoosier Invitational
4/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
April 7, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Northwestern has a seven-shot advantage on the field after 36 holes at the 2012 NYX Hoosier Invitational while sophomore Jack Perry (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara) has the individual lead at 5-under 137 (69-68).
Northwestern held a four-stroke cushion over Indiana and IPFW following an opening round 3-under 281, but that did not satisfy head coach Pat Goss.
"Team was too sloppy in the morning," Goss tweeted from the course. "Lots of good but made too many mistakes. Looking for a good afternoon."
He certainly got that good afternoon. His team followed up with a 7-under 277 to sit seven shots clear of the 15-team field at 10-under 558. IUPUI moved up to second place behind the Wildcats at 3-under 565 while Indiana is in third at 2-over 570.
The relatively short 6,813-yard par-71 Indiana University Golf Course has a unique layout with just two par-5s, three par-3s and multiple short- to mid-range par 4s. Its most distinctive feature is the slope in its greens, which can be quite severe.
"To give an idea: Just watched Chien hit a 12-foot birdie putt that he played over six feet of break on," Goss tweeted. "Just missed high."
Perry's day got off to a great start at No. 2, where he hit a beautiful shot from the right trees to inside of three feet before converting the birdie. He then made three-consecutive birdies on holes No. 7, 8 and 9 to get deep into red territory. He began the stretch with a 2 at the long par-3 seventh hole before holing a 15-foot putt that just fell over the front edge of the cup at the eighth. On the par-5 ninth, Perry hit two-straight 3-wood shots before getting up-and-down for a 4.
Perry gave a lot of those strokes back with a bogey at No. 10 and a double bogey at No. 11 when he lost his tee shot in the trees, but he fought for more birdies at Nos. 13 and 15 to eventually finish with his morning 2-under 69.
In the afternoon, Perry's putter got hot. He nailed a slippery 6-footer on No. 5 for birdie before holing a 12-foot birdie bender on No. 10. He avoided the costly bogeys that bit him in the first round to close with his 3-under 68. He has a one-stroke lead over a three-way tie for second place.
Senior Eric Chun (Ansung City, South Korea/International Christian School) is one of those competitors behind Perry after consecutive scores of 2-under 69 Saturday to enter Sunday in second position at 4-under 138. Early in the day, Chun had trouble off the tee but was able to convert three up-and-downs for par.
"After a slow start with ball striking, he hit a lot of great shots," Goss tweeted.
An impressive stat on Chun: All eight of his stroke play rounds during the spring season have been under par, with each of the last six being in the 60s. Out of 23 total stroke play rounds on the season, 16 have been at par or better and 11 have been in the 60s. His 70.43 stroke average after play Saturday currently leads Luke Donald's school record 70.45 average established in his NCAA Championship year of 1998-99.
Senior Sam Chien (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel) stands in eighth place after completing Saturday's action at 2-under 140 (71-69). Chien started his day with a snap hook into the trees on the third hole before hitting a five iron from 206 yards to 10 feet for a "routine" birdie. He had a streak of four-straight one putts to start his opening round, quickly getting him to 2-under par. Though he would make a third birdie -- which also came from the trees -- at No. 9, Chien carded an even-par 71 in the morning.
In the afternoon round, Chien approached his final two holes at even par again before making birdie at both Nos. 1 and 2 to close at 2-under 69.
Freshman Bennett Lavin (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) is in 21st individually at 2-over 144 after 36 holes, carding a 2-over 73 in the morning and an even-par 71 in the afternoon without making a single three-putt all day. "Impressive on these greens," Goss tweeted.
Lavin struggled during his morning round before fighting back with a birdie at the 15th en route to his 73. In the afternoon, Laving followed up a bogey at the 13th hole by hitting a beautiful cut 4-iron to 25 feet and making the putt for a birdie on No. 14, getting back to even par on the round. He eventually would drain a 12-footer for par on his final hole to complete his second-round 71.
Junior Nick Losole (Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale Notre Dame) shot an opening 1-over 72 followed by a 5-over 76 Saturday afternoon to currently find himself in 48th position at 6-over 148. In the morning, he hit a lot of greens but was unable to convert them into birdies. The highlight of the day came in the first round at No. 17, where Losole holed out for an eagle en route to the 72.
The best score of the day came from a Wildcat not in the Northwestern team lineup. Playing as individual, freshman Matthew Negri (El Cajon, Calif./Grossmont) fired a 6-under 65 in the second round and currently finds himself in eighth position at 2-under 140 after making a 10-stroke improvement over his opening 4-over 75.
"Negri's good rounds are impressive," Goss tweeted.
Negri's 65 matches Chun's low Northwestern total for the year, which he fired in the opening round of NU's Windon Memorial in the fall at the par-70 Evanston Golf Club. Negri's performance is tied for the seventh-lowest single round in school history and marks the eighth time in NU annals that a 65 has been carded. Negri's 6-under performance in relation to par matches Perry's Northwestern season-best, which he accomplished with a final-round 66 at the Barona Collegiate Cup last month.
The NYX Hoosier Invitational concludes with the final round tomorrow, Sunday, April 8. No live scoring is available, however Goss does a great job live tweeting updates from the course. Follow him @NUGolf_LIVE.
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