April 28, 2006
Big Ten Men's Golf Championships Results (Round One)
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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The 2006 Big Ten Men's Golf Championships got underway Friday morning at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill. Northwestern is hosting the Championships for the first time in 50 years.
The top-seeded Wildcats shot a 2-under 282 in round one and are five strokes back of the lead in second place. Northwestern is seeking its first Big Ten Championship since 2001 when it won its last of three straight.
When players first began teeing off in the first round at 8 a.m., temperatures were in the upper 40s under sunny, blue skies. The temperature had climbed to 58 degrees by the end of round one.
Blair Harkins of Illinois opened the Championships off the No. 1 tee. His iron found the left-center of the fairway. Harkins' approach from 138 yards found the green, and he two-putted for par.
Harkins and playing partner Grant Tungate of Michigan State were the first players into the clubhouse. Harkins carded an even-par 71 and Tungate shot 73.
Defending champion Michigan State, seeded sixth this year based on the Golfstat National Rankings, blistered the 7,168-yard layout. The Spartans opened with a Conway Farms Collegiate men's record 7-under 277.
The previous record was held by Wake Forest, which shot 279 in the final round of the 1997 NCAA Men's Golf Championships en route to a runner-up finish.
The Purdue Boilermakers are in third place after an even-par 284.
Michigan State's 7-under team mark was identical to the total posted by its leading scorer, Ryan Brehm. Brehm, the 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and last year's Big Ten Championship runner up, was 2-under at the turn before making consecutive birdies on holes 10 and 11. A birdie on the par-5 14th brought the sophomore to 5-under, and one stroke shy of tying the course record.
After three straight pars, Brehm headed to the 18th hole needing to birdie the par-5 for a share of the record. Instead, Brehm made an eagle to set a Conway Farms Collegiate Men's course record at 7-under 64.
Brehm's 64 broke PGA Tour member Jason Gore's record of 65 set in the first round of the 1997 NCAA Championships. It also tied the lowest individual round in Big Ten Championship history, last shot by Illinois' Trevor Beard in 1991.
Northwestern's Luke Donald owns the overall course record. He carded a 10-under 61 in September 2003 back when the course played 6,849 yards.
Kyle Moore (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) paced the Wildcats in round one. The junior birdied six of his last 10 holes, including three of his last four, to shoot a 6-under 65 and is alone in second place. His 65 is tied for second best on Conway Farms Collegiate records' list and equals his career best mark.
Moore, who finished in a tie for third at the 2005 Big Ten Championships, led the field in round one with seven birdies. He also led in par four scoring with an average of 3.45. His back nine 5-under 31 was tied for the best nine in the first round.
The top three golfers in round one all shot 31 on the back nine. Seth Brandon of Indiana is in third place.
Junior Chris Wilson (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) joined Moore with an under-par opening round. He made four birdies to three bogeys for a 1-under 71. He sits in a tie for sixth place, six strokes off the pace.
The 'Cats' leading scorer, junior David Merkow (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead Union), was 2-over thru nine holes. Two birdies and an eagle on the back nine helped Merkow finish his round at 1-over 72. His eagle was one of only three in the morning round.
Merkow is in a tie for 19th.
Senior Dillon Dougherty (Woodland, Calif./Woodland) and sophomore Dan Doyle (Rochester, Mich./Stoney Creek) both shot 4-over 75. They are part of a group of six players that are tied for 33rd.
Conway Farms was designed by renowned architect Tom Fazio. When it was opened in 1991, it was acclaimed by Golf Digest as one of the Top Five best new private clubs in the country.
Conway Farms, with Northwestern as host, has been the site of three collegiate tournaments. It held the 1997 NCAA Division I Men's Championships and the 1999 and 2004 Windon Memorial Classics.
Round two of the Big Ten Men's Golf Championships is underway and is scheduled to be completed this afternoon. A recap with quotes will follow round two.
To follow the tournament live, visit Big Ten Men's Golf Championships. Other tournament information can be found at Big Ten Men's Golf Championships and Northwestern Men's Golf Championships site.