MACOMB, Ill. ? Sophomore Coby Thompson (East Galesburg, Ill./Knoxville) shot a two-over par 74 in the opening round of play at the Beu/Mussatto Invitational Monday to help the Bradley men's golf team to a sixth place showing among NCAA Division I schools after 18 holes at the par-72 Harry Mussatto Golf Course.
Wet course conditions pushed the start of Monday's two rounds of play back to 10 a.m. and teams were unable to finish the second round before sunset. The teams will resume second round play Tuesday morning and follow with the third and final round of the 54-hole event.
Thompson is six shots behind the individual leader after 18 holes, with his first round 74 and is currently tied for fifth place. Junior Zach Wanken (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) is five shots back of Thompson in a tie for 33rd at 79.
Freshmen Earl Gerlach (Normal, Ill./Normal West) and Chris Niemiec (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles) each carded rounds of 80 to end the first round tied for 38th, while sophomore Nathan Perry (Normal, Ill./Normal West) rounded out the scoring for Bradley with a first-round 84 and started the second round tied for 72nd in the 90-person field.
South Dakota State held the lead after 18 holes with an opening round total of 300. Tournament-host Western Illinois is three shots behind in second place at 303, while Creighton is third among NCAA Division I teams at 311.
SIU Edwardsville and Wisconsin-Green Bay are tied at 312, one shot behind Creighton and the Braves are just two shots behind the Bluejays in sixth at 313. Bradley holds a three-shot edge on IUPUI (316) and is five shots ahead of Western Illinois Gold.
The Braves will resume second round play at the Beu/Mussatto Invitational Tuesday at 8 a.m. and follow up with the final round of tournament play in the team's final competition before next week's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship April 27-28 in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
