Bradley University Athletics

Men’s Golf In Contention At Colin Montgomerie Invitational

Barathwaj Rudraboina

Men's Golf 2/27/2017 8:17:00 PM

SPRING, Texas – The Bradley men's golf team opened the spring season in strong fashion, carding the lowest team's lowest 36-hole score since the Fall opener and the Braves are just five shots off the lead in third in the 13-team standings at the Colin Montgomerie Houston Baptist Invitational Monday.

Bradley started the day with an even par 288 in the opening round, which tied for the second lowest round of the 2016-17 season and also matched the 12^th lowest round in program history. A second round seven-over 295 at the par-72 Traditions of Cypresswood Golf Course puts the Braves in third in the team standings at 583, five shots back of leader Louisiana-Monroe (578).

Junior Ethan Brue and sophomore Drake Bushong carried their strong play from the Fall season into the spring opener with the pair tied for 12^th overall at 145 after 36 holes. Brue had the low round of the day for Bradley with a first-round one-under 71 and added a two-over 74 in the afternoon to finish Monday's action at one-over and has now carded six consecutive rounds of 75 or better.

Bushong was one stroke behind in the morning with a 72 and tied for the lowest second round on the team with a 73 to match Brue at 145. The pair have both carded 17 consecutive sub-80 rounds and head into Tuesday's final round just three shots out of the top five.

Sophomore Branden Mounce is tied for 20^th overall at 146, firing a pair of 73's Monday. Redshirt sophomore Daniel Lensing had been sidelined with an injury since October 2015, but made his return to the lineup by carding an opening round 72. Lensing is two back of Mounce in a tie for 31^st (148) after shooting a second-round 76.

Junior Zach Jewell rounded out the lineup for Bradley in a tie for 55^th at 152 and was the only Brave to improve his score in the afternoon. Jewell rebounded from a first round 77 to shoot a three-over 75 in the second round.

Louisiana-Monroe (578) has a four-shot edge on second-place Stephen F. Austin (582) and Bradley is just three shots off the pace in third at 583. Six shots separate second from seventh in the field, with tournament-host Houston Baptist close behind the Braves in fourth (584) and Central Arkansas in fifth at 585. Nicholls State (6^th – 586), Texas-Rio Grande Valley (7^th – 588), Western Illinois (8^th – 591), Abilene Christian (9^th – 592) and Incarnate Word (10^th – 592) round out the top 10 in the 13-team field.

The final round of the Colin Montgomerie Houston Baptist Invitational will tee off Tuesday at 8:15 a.m.

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