|
 Leach began his round on the 7th hole in the shotgun format with
three straight pars until a bogey on the 360-yard par-4 10th hole
put Leach 1-over par. Leach recorded his first of three birdies on
the day on the 275-yard par-4 13th hole. Birdies on the 3rd and 5th
hole put Leach at 1-under par heading into his final hole of the
day, the 414-yard par-4 6th hole. An errant tee shot and approach
shot left Leach with short-sided to a tight pin. Leach wasn't able
to get up-and-down and bogied the his final hole to finish at even
par.
Head coach Jeff Nelson said of Leach's round, "I am very excited for
Hunter and his outstanding round today on an unfamiliar course.
Hunter worked very hard during the summer entering into several
amateur tournaments getting himself ready for this season. I am so
happy for him to be able to see his hard work pay off. This was his
first even-par round for his career. I'm hoping it gives him the
confidence to know that he can go low."
 As a team, Lincoln College shot a 312 which was good enough for a
third place finish among the 13 teams entered. Blackhawk College
shot 305 to take the team title and Carl Sandburg finished second on
their home course with a 310.
Sophomore Hunter Bettis (Bluffs, IL), an NJCAA honorable mention
All-American last season finishing 22nd in the National Tournament,
struggled a bit today and posted an 81. Bettis, usually a birdie
machine, could only muster one birdie on the day on the 415-yard
par-4 2nd hole.
"Little H just couldn't get much going today, but he had a good
attitude through it all," Nelson said. "I could tell he was
disappointed but he handled himself very well on the course, which
I'm very proud of. I'm confident he will get his game straightened
out sooner than later."
Freshman and former Lincoln Railer Jack White posted the second best
round for the Lynx in his first collegiate golf tournament of his
career with a seven-over-par 78. White had three birdies on the day
and put together a solid round for his first time on the course.
[to top of second column] |
"Jack has a great opportunity to step in right away and help this
team score," Nelson said. "Given the short amount of time Jack's
played golf (began playing entering his freshman year in high
school), it's amazing how well he's picked up the game and well he
can score the ball. He's got a lot of confidence in his ability,
which is a positive, and I'm looking for some great things out of
Jack moving forward."
Delavan High School graduate and sophomore Josh Matthews also fired
an 81. Matthews birdied the 485-yard par-5 3rd hole and posted a
solid 40 on the outward nine and a 41 coming back. The big,
left-hander has shown some great improvement from last year to this
year. Through the first three qualifying rounds and the first
tournament, Matthews has shot a consistent 81, 79, 80, 81. Nelson
said of Matthews, "If Josh can eliminate the one or two hiccups
within his rounds, I believe he can consistently score in the mid to
upper 70's. Through hard work this fall and paying attention to the
areas he needs to work on, I think he'll be able to be a solid
contributor for us this year."
Sophomore Cody Curry, an Illini Central alum, rounded out the team's
top five scores with a solid 82. Curry carded two birdies on the day
and kept with it through a couple of difficult holes which prevented
a score in the upper 70's. Other scores for the Lynx as individuals
were Rochester grad sophomore Brandon Savage 85, Mt. Pulaski grad
freshman Caleb Przykopanski 89, and Lanphier grad sophomore Nik
Jackson 91.
The Lynx top five scores from the Charger Classic along with the
three initial qualifying rounds will travel to the scenic Fyre Lake
Golf Course in Sherrard, IL on Friday. Those that will compete are
Hunter Bettis, Hunter Leach, Jack White, Cody Curry, and Josh
Matthews.
[Jeff Nelson] |
