HOLLISTER, Mo. -- Sophomore Coby Thompson (East Galesburg, Ill./Knoxville) turned in the low round of the day for the Bradley men's golf team with a final-round 79 to help the Braves to a 12th place finish at the Branson Creek Invitational Tuesday at the par-71, 6,929-yard Branson Creek Golf Course.
Originally scheduled for a 54-hole tournament, the event was shortened to 36 holes due to cold temperatures. The teams played 27 holes Monday and wrapped up play Tuesday with the final nine holes. Bradley entered Tuesday's final round in eighth place, but shot 333 to slip into 12th in the final team standings.
While Thompson had the lowest second round for the Braves, junior Zach Wanken (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) was the Braves' top finisher. Wanken carded a second-round 80 to finish the event tied for 28th overall at 157, while Thompson was one shot behind Wanken in a tie for 34th at 158 after shooting a pair 79's.
Freshman Chris Niemiec (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles) shot an 89 to finish in 59th place at 168 and edged out fellow freshman Earl Gerlach (Normal, Ill./Normal West) by one shot. Gerlach fired an 85 Tuesday to finish one shot behind Niemiec at 169 in a tie for 60th. Junior Zach Zobrist (Morton, Ill./Peoria Christian) rounded out the scoring for the Braves with a second-round 90 and was tied for 65th at 175.
Western Illinois turned in the best round of the day at 299 to claim the team title by eight shots with a 36-hole score of 600. Arkansas-Little Rock was eight shots behind in second place at 608 and was followed by third-place Illinois State (610). Oral Roberts finished four at 616, while Stephen F. Austin and Nebraska tied for fifth place at 623.
Southern Illinois was one shot behind the Huskers in seventh place at 624 with Drake closely behind in eighth at 625. Tournament-host Missouri State claimed ninth place (628) and Creighton rounded out the top 10 at 635. Northern Iowa was three shots back in 11th place (638), while Bradley rounded out the field in 12th place at 652.
Bradley returns to action April 20-21 at the Beu/Mussatto Invitational in Macomb, Ill., in the Braves final tournament before the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship (April 27-28).
