May 19, 2006
ATLANTA –
Georgia Tech shot a four-over-par score of 288 Friday, getting even-par scores of 71 from Cameron Tringale and Mike Barbosa, and the No. 2-seed Yellow Jackets moved up into a tie for fifth place after 36 holes at the NCAA Central Regional golf tournament in Chardon, Ohio.
Weather conditions at the 7,173-yard, par-71 Sand Ridge Golf Club – temperatures in the mid-40s and light winds – were better for the morning round when Tech played than they were in the afternoon. The Yellow Jackets’ 288 score Friday was surpassed by only one team, top-seeded Oklahoma State, while several of Thursday’s leaders went backward, allowing Tech to make up considerable ground.
Tech (15-over-oar 583, tied with Minnesota) will begin Saturday’s final round seven shots ahead of 10th place, currently shared by Oklahoma, TCU and Clemson at 22-over-par 590. The top 10 teams after 54 holes are completed Saturday advance to the NCAA Championship, which begins May 31 at Sunriver, Ore. Only eight shots separate the eighth-place and the 15th-place teams after 36 holes.
“It came close to being a phenomenal round for us,” said head coach Bruce Heppler. “We survived another day, and hopefully we can piece it together tomorrow. It looks like the number is going to be 22 or 23 over par for 10th place.”
Complete Results, Saturday Tee Times, Live Scoring
Oklahoma State widened its lead in the team race with a one-over-par score of 285, led by Zack Robinson (66) and Jonathan Moore (69). The Cowboys are the only team under par (3-under 565) through 36 holes, and they are nine shots ahead of Northwestern (574) and 10 ahead of Texas A&M (575). Robinson, at five-under 137 for the tournament, and Moore (four-under 138) hold the top two positions in the individual race.
Tringale is Tech’s top player through 36 holes, in a tie for eighth place at even-par 142. The freshman from Laguna Niguel, Calif., opened his round with a bogey at No. 10, but stayed steady with two birdies and a bogey on his second nine. Barbosa, a senior from St. Petersburg, Fla., went out in four-under-par 32 but made five bogeys and one birdie coming in.
Roberto Castro and Taylor Hall rallied from poor rounds Thursday to shoot 73s on Friday for the Yellow Jackets. Kevin Larsen followed his Thursday 69 with a 78 that included five straight bogeys on the incoming nine and did not count for Tech Friday.
The back nine which had tormented the Yellow Jackets Thursday yielded no high scores Friday, and the Jackets posted only one hole higher than bogey. Tech began its round on the back nine and played collectively in one-under-par.
NCAA CENTRAL REGIONALSand Ridge Golf Club, Chardon, Ohio36-hole Results
TEAM LEADERS Oklahoma State 280-285 – 565 (-3) Northwestern 281-293 – 574 Texas A&M 284-291 – 575 Lamar 286-295 – 581 Georgia Tech 295-288 – 583 Minnesota 291-292 – 583 Duke 286-301 – 587 Clemson 296-294 – 590 Oklahoma 292-298 – 590 TCU 293-297 – 590 Texas 291-301 – 592 Tulsa 297-295 – 592 Kentucky 291-302 – 593 Purdue 291-303 – 594 SMU 294-301 – 595
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Zack Robinson, Oklahoma State 71-66 – 137 (-5) Jonathan Moore, Oklahoma State 69-69 – 138 Bronson Burgeon, Texas A&M 68-71 – 139 Dawie Van der Walt, Lamar 70-69 – 139 Bobby Bennett, Purdue 68-73 – 141 David Merkow, Northwestern 68-73 – 141 Chris Wilson, Northwestern 67-74 – 141 Cameron Tringale, Georgia Tech 71-71 – 142 Tom Miles, TCU 73-69 – 142 Andrew Parr, Texas A&M 68-74 – 142 Clayton Rask, Minnesota 69-73 – 142
GEORGIA TECH SCORES T8 Cameron Tringale 71-71 – 142 T27 Kevin Larsen 69-78 – 147 T50 Mike Barbosa 78-71 – 149 T59 Roberto Castro 77-73 – 150 T85 Taylor Hall 80-73 – 153
