April 1, 2012

Irish Creek Final Results

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- The Northern Illinois men’s golf team concluded play at the Irish Creek Collegiate on Sunday, closing the tournament with a 10th place finish. Junior Kurtis Luedtke (Aurora, Ill./West) was the highest-finishing individual for NIU, tying for 26th with a 54-hole total of 217.

“Unfortunately it was more of the same today,” said NIU head coach Tom Porten. “Today, and throughout the tournament, we just had too many three putts. We probably hit the most greens in regulation that we have in my three years here and we were okay tee-to-green, we just struggled putting this weekend.”

Kent State won the team competition with a 54-hole total 825 (-27), 14 strokes better than second-place Duke. Mercer’s James Beale took medalist honors at 13-under par.

Luedtke began his final round with six consecutive pars but was able to convert just one birdie on the day, finishing with a final round 75. His tie for 26th still marked his best finish of the season.

Freshman Thomas Dunne (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) and junior Griffin Bauman (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) each posted team-best 73’s in Sunday’s final round. Bauman collected four birdies in his final round, picking up a pair on both the front and back nine. Dunne carded three birdies in his round; including two in the opening four holes of the day. Dunne was one of just eight players to collect a birdie on the par-four 11th in Sunday’s final round.

Dunne finished in a tie for 35th with a 54-hole total of 218, just one stroke behind Luedtke.

The Huskies will be back in action next week, Monday, April 9 and Tuesday, April 10, as they travel to Columbia, Mo., to participate in the COG Mizzou Intercollegiate.

Team Scoring
10. Northern Illinois, +25, 284-297-296 -- 877

Huskie Individual Standings
T26. Kurtis Luedtke, +4, 67-75-75 -- 217
T35. Thomas Dunne, +5, 69-76-73 -- 218
T43. Shawn Foley, +8, 73-73-75 -- 221
T51. Griffin Bauman, +10, 77-73-73 -- 223
T72. Bryce Emory, +22, 75-82-78 -- 235