Kent State University
NCAA Regionals
Flashes slip to 7th after soggy round 2 at NCAA Regional
5/16/2014 6:35:00 PM | Men's Golf
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Kent State's men's golf team is still within striking distance for a fifth consecutive finals appearance despite slipping to seventh place following Friday's second round of the NCAA Sugar Grove Regional at Rich Harvest Farms.
After beginning the day in a tie for third place, the seventh-seeded Golden Flashes shot a 21-over-par total of 309 in round two to slide into a seventh-place tie with Jacksonville State.
The top five teams after Saturday's final round advance to the NCAA Championship at Prairie Dunes in Kansas, and the Flashes will begin that chase at 32-over par for the tournament and 14 shots behind the fifth-place cut line.
"We just didn't have anything today," said Kent State head coach Herb Page. "I thought we started a little bit flat after a rain delay of two and a half hours. But I thought we would make a little run after a couple of birdies at 11. The run never came."
The top five teams after the second round included fourth-seeded. Alabama-Birmingham in first place at 7-over, No. 2 Illinois in second place at 9-over, No. 6 Clemson in fourth place at 13-over, No. 1 California in fourth place at 17-over, and No. 3 USC in fifth place at 18-over. No. 8 Purdue is also very much in the hunt at 21-over and in sixth place.
"Our backs are against the wall when you have good teams ahead of you like we do, but we are not going to give up," said Page. "We are capable of doing it. Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith are both capable of going out and shooting 67's tomorrow. We have some firepower at the top of the lineup, so we are going to come out as if we have nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Conners and Pendrith finished round two in a 14th-place tie on the individual leaderboard at 4-over-par for the tournament.
Conners carded the best round of the day for Kent State on the 7,151-yard private course near Chicago, shooting a 1-over-par 73 that included birdies at holes 7, 15 and 17.
Pendrith, who began the day tied for second place individually after a 70 on Thursday, struggled on the back nine during his second round. With a birdie at the par-5 11th hole, he moved moved him into second place all alone as one of only two players under par for the tournament. But after sandwiching that birdie with six consecutive bogeys and one final birdie at 18, Pendrith was forced to settle for a 78.
Fellow senior Kyle Kmiecik and freshman Josh Whalen both shot 79 while sophomore Kody Fry posted an 89.
"It was a disappointing day because really nobody played very well," said Page. "Corey hung in there after falling to 3-over on his round and brought it back. But after the rain stopped, the conditions were pretty moderate. It was cold, but there wasn't much wind and the course was soft.
"This is a team that hasn't chipped or putted well all year. That Achilles Heel showed up again. Our short games just didn't get it done. I'm not happy, but I'm also the eternal optimist. It only takes one good round. And while we are going to have to do something really special on Saturday, we are capable of doing it."
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| Course:Rich Harvest Farms: 2014 NCAA Regional Par 72 - 7151 Yards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| current position | team | scoring | rounds | total score | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| to par | thru | today | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 |
| +8 | F | +4 | 292 | 292 | 584 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 |
| +9 | F | +4 | 293 | 292 | 585 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 |
| +15 | F | +4 | 299 | 292 | 591 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 |
| +17 | F | E | 305 | 288 | 593 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 |
| +18 | F | +4 | 302 | 292 | 594 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The top 5 teams advance to the Championship (Ties will be resolved.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 |
| +21 | F | E | 309 | 288 | 597 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T7 |
| +32 | F | +18 | 302 | 306 | 608 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T7 |
| +32 | F | +21 | 299 | 309 | 608 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 |
| +37 | F | +10 | 315 | 298 | 613 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 |
| +41 | F | +21 | 308 | 309 | 617 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 |
| +52 | F | +21 | 319 | 309 | 628 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 |
| +53 | F | +26 | 315 | 314 | 629 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 |
| +56 | F | +27 | 317 | 315 | 632 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 |
| +86 | F | +36 | 338 | 324 | 662 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
