KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Despite battling the weather, the Bradley men's golf team turned in one of its best rounds of the season and finished Monday's first round in 10th place at the Bill Ross Intercollegiate. Two weather delays during the opening day slowed things down and play was suspended midway through the second round at the par-72 Blue Hills Country Club.
The teams were pulled off the course twice due to weather and delayed a total of two hours during the opening day of play. Most individuals had eight holes remaining when darkness forced the suspension of the second round.
The Braves turned in their second lowest round of the Fall with a 306 to open play and were 10th of 14 teams after 18 holes. Senior Coby Thompson (East Galesburg, Ill. (Knoxville) and freshman Travis Kreiter (Brimfield, Ill./Brimfield) led the way for BU, both carding two-over par 74's in the first round. The opening-round 74 matched a season-best score for Thompson and the duo entered the second round tied for 12th.
Freshman Daniel Young (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) fired a first-round 75 and is one shot behind Thompson and Kreiter in a tie for 22nd. Fellow freshman Kyle Gunther (Dunlap, Ill./Peoria Christian) opened play with an 83 to tie for 75th in the first round, while freshman Andrew Weisenborn (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) made his collegiate debut and carded an 86 to finish the first round in 81st.
Tournament-host UMKC sits atop the leaderboard after shooting a three-over par 291 and holds a three-shot edge on second-place Kansas (294). Central Arkansas follows in third place at 295, with Northern Iowa (4th - 298) and Creighton (5th - 299) rounding out the top five, respectively.
Nebraska started the second round sixth in the standing at 301 with North Dakota State one shot back in seventh at 302. Missouri State and South Dakota State are three shots ahead of Bradley in a tie for eighth at 303 and the Braves (10th - 306) hold a one shot advantage on North Dakota (11th - 307). Oral Roberts is 12th overall at 312 with Drake (13th - 313) and South Dakota (14th - 314) completing the field.
The teams will resume second-round play Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., with the third and final round of the tournament to follow the completion of Monday's suspended round.
