Fresh off what was most likely a weekend spent watching The Masters, the Wisconsin men’s golf team opened the two-day, 54-hole COG Mizzou Intercollegiate in Colombia, Mo. Monday.
Monday featured the first 36 holes of the event, and the Badgers were tied for fourth after posting a six-over par 294 in the morning round. However, Wisconsin lost ground with its 14-over 302 to close the day, which puts the Badgers in eighth out of 15 teams.
Junior Anthony Aicher made birdie on three of his first six holes and leads the Badgers with a 36-hole total of two-under 142. He sits in fifth individually and trails Missouri freshman Ryan Zech by just five shots.
Zech put together rounds of five-under and two-under for a 36-hole score of 137, two better than his closest competitor.
Freshman Thomas O’Bryan and Aicher were the only Badgers to post a round in red numbers. O’Bryan took his opening round as low as five-under before making a few bogeys and coming in to post a one-under 71. He is tied for 23rd individually after a six-over 78 in the afternoon round.
Sophomore Zach Balit opened with a two-over 74 and followed with a six-over 78. Balit’s afternoon round could have been closer to par if it weren’t for a five-over-par 10 on one of his final holes. The sophomore is coming off a solid showing at the Hootie Intercollegiate two weeks ago, where he tied for Wisconsin’s low total.
After shooting a seven-over 79 in the morning, sophomore John Gullberg came back with a two-over 74. He was the lone Badger to score better in the afternoon round.
Fellow sophomore Eric Schremp, who did not play in the Hootie Intercollegiate, posted a 36-hole total of 164 with rounds of 80 and 84.
Host team Missouri boasts an astonishing 20-stroke lead on the field after firing two of the top four rounds of the day: a 13-under 275 and a one-over 289. Fellow Big Ten teams Purdue and Nebraska are also participating in the event.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
