University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers in Sixth at Gopher Invitational
9/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
The University of Minnesota men's golf team opened the season Sunday by hosting 10 other teams in the sixth annual Gopher Invitational at Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata. The Gophers combined to score rounds of 292 and 300 for a 36-hole 592 (+16) and are in sixth place with 18 holes remaining. The final round begins Monday at 8:00 a.m.
Donald Constable continued his torrid play, as he carded consecutive rounds of one-under par 71 to pace the Gophers on day one and is in a four player tie for fourth place. This summer he won the 2010 North & South Amateur Championship title, finished runner-up 2010 MGA Players Championship and runner-up at the 2010 Minnesota State Amateur and qualified for the U.S. Amateur after taking medalist honors at a local qualifier. He also missed qualifying for this year's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by one stroke.
Sophomore Erik Van Rooyen shot an opening round 68, tying a career low, and followed that up with a 78 in round two and is in a tie for 12th place. Fellow sophomore Shang Zhi is in a tie for 37th place (154) followed by David Haley Jr. (157) and Tim Peterzen (162). Haley is in a tie for 44th and Peterzen is in a tie for 53rd.
Gopher senior Cameron White, sophomore Robert Bell and freshman Garrett Fotu and Jon Trasamar are also part of the field, as they are playing the event as individuals. White (157) is in a tie for 44th and Trasamar (166), Fotu (169) and Bell (170) are alone in 57th, 59th and 60th place, respectively.
Louisiana State, the Gopher Invitational team champion in 2008, holds the lead with a six-over par 582 by two strokes over Kent State. Arkansas and UNC Charlotte are tied for third with a score of 588 followed by UNC Greensboro (591) and Minnesota. Kent State's John Hahn carded rounds of 68-67 (135) and holds medalist honors by four shots over SMU's Kelly Kraft (71-68, 139). Kraft is searching for his second consecutive individual title after he shot a Gopher Invite record 15-under par 201 last year.
Players Mentioned
