Arkansas finished the first two rounds of the Bearcat Invitational tied for fifth place after a strong start on Monday at Cincinnati’s Coldstream Country Club. The team recorded a 4-under-par 280 in the opening round, placing them second early in the day, but followed with a 5-over 289 in the afternoon to finish with a combined score of 569 (+1) after 36 holes.
Host school Cincinnati leads the field of 18 teams with a total score of 554 (-14).
Senior John Daly II led Arkansas and is tied for third individually with a two-round total of 138 (-4). Daly began his first round by birdieing his initial two holes and was three under par at the turn following another birdie on hole eight. After dropping a shot on hole twelve, he recovered with birdies at fourteen and fifteen to post a morning score of four-under-par 67. In his afternoon round, Daly played bogey-free golf through ten holes and reached eight under par before bogeying four holes late in his round to card an even-par 71.
Willie Gordon and Erick Fortlage are both tied for thirty-third place at two over par (144). Gordon, making his collegiate debut, rebounded from an early double bogey by recording four birdies over ten holes for a one-under-par 70 in the morning. He added fourteen pars during his afternoon round to finish with a three-over-par 74. Fortlage matched three bogeys with three birdies for an even-par 71 in round one and then posted sixteen pars and two bogeys for a two-over-par 73 in round two.
Cam Smith equaled Daly’s nine birdies on Monday and is tied for forty-third place after rounds of seventy-two and seventy-three (145 / +3). Niilo Maki-Petaja sits tied for fifty-sixth after posting scores of seventy-five and seventy-two (147 / +5), including Arkansas’ second-best afternoon round.
The tournament concludes Tuesday with eighteen final holes scheduled.
“Arkansas carded a 4-under-par 280 in round one Monday and was in second, but was 5-over in the afternoon and slipped into a tie for fifth after 36 with a 1-over total of 569 at the Bearcat Invitational, played at Cincinnati’s Coldstream Country Club.”
“The Razorbacks were led by John Daly II. The senior is tied for third with a 36-hole score of 138 (-4). He birdied his first two holes and made the turn in the opening round at -3 after a birdie on hole eight. He dropped a shot on twelve but rallied with birdies on holes fourteen and fifteen for a four-under sixty-seven in the morning session. In the afternoon, he was bogey-free with four birdies through ten holes and stood atop the leaderboard at -8. However, Daly bogeyed four holes down the stretch and settled for an even-par seventy-one.”
“Gordon, the freshman from Hot Springs, shook off a double bogey on his second hole in his collegiate debut with four birdies over a ten-hole span to turn in a one-under seventy in the morning. He had fourteen pars in the afternoon and turned in a three-over seventy-four.”
“Fortlage offset three bogeys with three birdies to shoot an even-par seventy-one in the morning and had sixteen pars with two bogeys for a two-over seventy-three in the afternoon.”
“Cam Smith tied Daly with the most birdies on Monday with nine and is tied for forty-third (seventy-two/seventy-three=one hundred forty-five/+3). Niilo Maki-Petaja is tied for fifty-sixth. He had a seventy-five in the morning and had the team’s second-best round in the afternoon session with a seventy-two for five-over one hundred forty-seven.”
The Bearcat Invitational continues through September sixteenth at Coldstream Country Club.
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