EDMOND, OKLA.— Led by a 17th-place finish by
JJ Cooney and all five team members in the top-36, the University of Sioux Falls Men's Golf Team is eighth after two of the three rounds of the Battle for the Belt on the Arlington Course at the Hot Springs Country Club which opened on Monday (March 8).
With a 41-over par 617 (311-306), the Cougars sit eighth but are just three strokes from fifth place (Arkansas Monticello at 38-over par 614 (306-308). After opening with a 311 in the first round of the 54-hole tourney, USF cut five shots off their next round as they finished at 306.
Arkansas Tech leads the competitive 10-team tourney with a two-round total of 567 (283-284) after they finished nine-under par. Host Henderson State was second at three-over par 579 (291-288) while Southern Arkansas was third at 582 (288-294) with a six-over par total. Santiago De La Fuente of Arkansas Tech was the individual leader with his nine-under par total of 135 (69-66) while Caleb Miller of Southern Arkansas, who led after the first round, had a five-under total of 139 (68-71).
Cooney, who was named the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year recently, was consistent all day with a two-round total of 152 (76-76) as he carded rounds of 76 twice in a row. At eight-over par, Cooney, a three-time All-NSIC honoree, was tied with four others (Caleb Nichols, Harding University, 76-76; Sam Tandy, Harding, 79-73; Jackson Cole, Henderson State, 73-79; and Garrett Davis, Southern Arkansas, 76-76). Cooney, who had three birdies, was solid in par-four scoring at two-over.
Senior
Brenden Bassing also had a pair of solid rounds as he ranked 22
nd with a nine-over par 153 (77-76). Bassing was among the leaders in par rounds with 12, which ranked eighth overall.
Senior
Jacob Zosel was tied for 34
th with a 12-over par total of 156 (80-76). USF junior standout
Jack Evans and sophomore
Gavin Metz finished the day tied for 36
th. Both Evans and Metz carded 13-over par totals of 157 with the same two-round score of 79-78.
Also playing for USF was senior
Jake Oetzmann, who finished tied for 54th with a two-round total of 23-over par 167 (85-82).
The final round of the tournament on the par 72, 6,713-yard course will be held on Tuesday.
