NOTABLES
- Trevor Drew leads the Hilltoppers on the leaderboard after the first day, tied for fourth place. He fired a 70 in the first round and followed that up with a 69 in the second for 5-under score heading into the third round. Drew finished with six birdies and an eagle for the day.
- Gage Doyle is currently tied for sixth place. He carded a 71 in the first round and is 3-under in the second round with one hole left. Doyle has nine birdies so far.
- Will Easterlin is tied for 13th place after the first day. He posted a 72 in the first round and a 70 in the second for a 2-under score. He finished the day with eight birdies.
- Rafe Blankenship is tied for 18th place after the first two rounds. He had a pair of 72s in the first round for an even 144 score. His 11 birdies in the first day are tied for the second most among the field.
- Barton Rutledge shot a 76 in the first round but bounced back with a 70 in the second round for a 2-over score. He is tied for 43rd place heading into the final round.
- Ethan Smith posted a 76 in the first round and a 77 in the second for a 9-over score, tying for 63rd place.
QUOTABLE
"I thought we played a lot of good golf today," said head coach Austin King. "There were some sloppy moments, but everyone seemed to bounce right back when they happened. I'm excited for the guys for tomorrow to see if they can keep the positive momentum going and get this season off to a great start!"
TOURNAMENT SCORES
Team:
1. South Dakota | 352-333—685 (-17)
2. North Dakota State | 354-335—689 (-13)
3. WKU | 361-346—707 (-5)
4. Iowa | 359-354—713 (-3)
T5. Omaha | 367-331—698 (+10)
T5. Western Illinois | 368-349—717 (+10)
7. Green Bay | 373-352—725 (+14)
8. Northern Iowa | 376-337—713 (+21)
9. Creighton | 366-371—737 (+25)
10. Bradley | 381-349—730 (+36)
11. Valparaiso | 383-362—745 (+43)
12. Evansville | 388-364—752 (+45)
13. Chicago State | 388-362—750 (+46)
14. Eastern Illinois | 381-367—748 (+48)
Individual:
T4. Trevor Drew | 70-69—139 (-5)
T6. Gage Doyle | 71-65—136 (-4) (has to finish one hole of the second round on Wednesday)
T13. Will Easterlin | 72-70—142 (-2)
T18. Rafe Blankenship | 72-72—144 (E)
T43. Barton Rutledge | 76-70—146 (+2)
T63. Ethan Smith | 76-77—153 (+9)
How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Men's Golf, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKUMensGolf on X or @WKUMensGolf on Instagram.
