Kent State Opens Up 25-Shot Lead After Day One Of MAC Championship
4/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Team and Individual standings (.pdf)
Golden Flashes in the drivers seat following a 13-under 275 in the second round
MAINEVILLE, Ohio — After a slow start it was business as usual for Kent State when the dust finally settled on the first day of play at the 2011 Mid-American Conference Championship. Owning a 25-shot lead through 36 holes, the Golden Flashes appear well on their way to third straight and league record 19th conference title. Kent State posted rounds of 292 and 275 on Friday for a 567 total at the par 72, 7140 yard, TPC River's Bend. Ball State is second with a 592 (297-295) followed by Akron at 595 (297-298).
Ranked 34th nationally, the Golden Flashes held a slight five stroke margin at the end of round one, but four of their five players birdied the par 4 18th to close out the morning round and left a slight foreshadowing of what was to come in the afternoon. Kent State carried that momentum right into the second round tearing through the first nine holes with nine birdies and an eagle against just two bogeys. The stellar play left the team at five under on the day and at nine-under four the round. The barrage continued with three more birdies on No. 11 and before all was said and done the team ripped off the fifth lowest round in Championship history with a 13-under 275.
"The second round today was one of the most impressive, mistake free performances we have at the MAC Championship in a long time," said Director of Golf/Head Coach Herb Page who is now in his 33rd year. "All year long we have been working hard at getting better and better every tournament so it was great to see the guys put it all together and deliver in a championship setting when everything is on the line."
All four counters for the Golden Flashes were under par in the monster second round led by junior Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ontario / Highland Secondary) who had a flawless 67 making three birdies and an eagle on the par 5 sixth. He leads the tournament by three strokes with a seven-under 137 (70-67). Just behind Hughes is senior Brett Cairns (Courtland, Ontario/Holy Trinity) who is tied for second with a 140 following his rounds of 70 and 70.
Leading the nation with four wins already this season, senior John Hahn (Las Vegas, Nev. / Hudson [Ohio]) was well off the pace after opening play with a 76 in the morning. The two-time All-American quickly put that behind him stringing together birdies on six of his first 12 holes in the afternoon before closing out with a four-under 68. He enters round three on Saturday tied for fourth with an even par 144 (76-68).
Sophomore Kevin Miller (Dover, Ohio/Sugarcreek Garaway) rounded out the Kent State fearsome foursome on Friday with a second round 70 and a 146 (76-70) composite that left him tied for sixth in the 45-man field. Miller was five-over on the day through his first nine holes, but played the final 27 in at three-under making five birdies and two bogeys. Freshmen Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ontario), completed the Kent State quintet on Friday recording rounds of 82 and 83 despite making six birdies on the day.
Third round action begins at 9:20 am tomorrow for Kent State followed by the fourth and final round on Sunday.
Kent State Rd1-Rd2=total
1 Mackenzie Hughes 70 - 67 = 137
T2 Brett Cairns 70 - 70 = 140
T4 John Hahn 76 - 68 = 144
T6 Kevin Miller 76 - 70 = 146
T42 Taylor Pendrith 82 - 83 = 165
Rk* team Rd1-Rd2=total
1 34 Kent State 292 - 275 = 567
2 Ball State 297 - 295 = 592
3 Akron 297 - 298 = 595
4 Eastern Michigan 297 - 300 = 597
5 Northern Illinois 303 - 304 = 607
T6 Miami 310 - 303 = 613
T6 Toledo 317 - 296 = 613
T8 Ohio 313 - 312 = 625
T8 Bowling Green 315 - 310 = 625
*Rankings by www.golfstat.com
