Photo by: Justin Thompson
EKLUND TIED FOR LEAD ENTERING THE WEEKEND AT SUNTRUST STATE OPEN
7/20/2012 9:38:00 PM | Men's Golf
MIDLOTHIAN, Va. – After two sub-par rounds, Radford men's golfer Weston Eklund is tied for the lead entering the weekend at the SunTrust State Open of Virginia, being played at the 7,033-yard, par 72 Independence Golf Club. Also making the cut for the Highlanders were Michael Wade and Ryan Rettberg.
Eklund was able to shave two strokes off his opening-round 70, to card a two-day ledger of 6-under 138 (70-68). A bogey at the par-4 first hole did not rattle the sensational rising senior, as Eklund birdied the 401-yard sixth hole to get back to even on the day. After three straight pars to finish the front nine, the Charlottesville, Va. native caught fire.
Birdies on holes 10-12 would catapult him to 3-under for the day and 5-under for the championship. Following two pars on holes 13 and 14, Eklund birdied the par-4 15th hole to move to 6-under overall. Eklund played even-par over the remaining three holes to post a 4-under second round.
He enters the final two rounds tied with the 2012 VSGA Amateur Champion Jake Mondy, a redshirt-freshman at national powerhouse Auburn University, and Ted Brown, the 2005 champion of this event. The trio tees off in the final group tomorrow morning at 10:40.
Wade also trimmed two shots off his opening round (1-over 73), firing a 1-under 71 on the second day to enter the weekend at even. The Floyd, Va. native birdied both par-5's on the front against one bogey, to make the turn at 1-under for the day. An even-par back nine, highlighted by birdies on holes 12, 13 and 15, puts Wade tied for 24th entering the final two rounds.
Making the biggest move in the second round for the Highlanders was Rettberg. Opening with a 5-over 77, he rallied with an even-par 72 to make the cut by two strokes with his two-day score of 149. After playing his first five holes in 1-under, Rettberg bogeyed three of his next four to make the turn at 2-over for the day.
A par on the par-4 10th hole was followed by birdies on holes 11 and 13 to get back to even. Rettberg concluded the second round with five consecutive pars to tie him for 58th heading into the weekend.
Also representing Radford at the prestigious state tournament was incoming freshman Conner Hayden. A first-day 5-over 77 was followed by a second-round 2-over 74, leaving him one stroke shy of making the cut.
Follow this weekend's action by visiting the online scoring link here.
Eklund was able to shave two strokes off his opening-round 70, to card a two-day ledger of 6-under 138 (70-68). A bogey at the par-4 first hole did not rattle the sensational rising senior, as Eklund birdied the 401-yard sixth hole to get back to even on the day. After three straight pars to finish the front nine, the Charlottesville, Va. native caught fire.
Birdies on holes 10-12 would catapult him to 3-under for the day and 5-under for the championship. Following two pars on holes 13 and 14, Eklund birdied the par-4 15th hole to move to 6-under overall. Eklund played even-par over the remaining three holes to post a 4-under second round.
He enters the final two rounds tied with the 2012 VSGA Amateur Champion Jake Mondy, a redshirt-freshman at national powerhouse Auburn University, and Ted Brown, the 2005 champion of this event. The trio tees off in the final group tomorrow morning at 10:40.
Wade also trimmed two shots off his opening round (1-over 73), firing a 1-under 71 on the second day to enter the weekend at even. The Floyd, Va. native birdied both par-5's on the front against one bogey, to make the turn at 1-under for the day. An even-par back nine, highlighted by birdies on holes 12, 13 and 15, puts Wade tied for 24th entering the final two rounds.
Making the biggest move in the second round for the Highlanders was Rettberg. Opening with a 5-over 77, he rallied with an even-par 72 to make the cut by two strokes with his two-day score of 149. After playing his first five holes in 1-under, Rettberg bogeyed three of his next four to make the turn at 2-over for the day.
A par on the par-4 10th hole was followed by birdies on holes 11 and 13 to get back to even. Rettberg concluded the second round with five consecutive pars to tie him for 58th heading into the weekend.
Also representing Radford at the prestigious state tournament was incoming freshman Conner Hayden. A first-day 5-over 77 was followed by a second-round 2-over 74, leaving him one stroke shy of making the cut.
Follow this weekend's action by visiting the online scoring link here.
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