JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Bradley men's golf team shot its lowest round of the spring to move into a tie for sixth in the final team standings Tuesday at the Benbow Invitational at the par-71 Jacksonville Beach Golf Club. The Braves entered the day tied for eighth, but shot a final-round 302 to move up in the standings.
Senior Coby Thompson (East Galesburg, Ill./Knoxville) continued his hot play shooting a final round 75 to tie for 12th in the field at 147. Thompson finished nine shots behind individual medalist Josh Nichols of Appalachian State, who shot 138, and has fired 75 or lower in five of his last six rounds.
Freshman Kyle Gunther (Dunlap, Ill./Peoria Christian) turned in a season-best, one-over par 72 in Tuesday's final round to move into a tie for 17th, one shot behind Thompson at 148. Fellow freshman Travis Kreiter (Brimfield, Ill./Brimfield) matched his Monday round with another 78 to tie for 40th at 156, while freshman Daniel Young (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) carded his 11th round in the 70's of the season with a final-round 77 to finish three back of Kreiter in a tie for 49th at 159.
Senior Nathan Perry (Normal, Ill./Normal West) rounded out team play for the Braves with a second-round 88 and finished with a two-round total of 176 to place 73rd overall. Sophomore Corey Verseman (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) played as an individual and tied for 40th at 156 after a final round 79 and freshman Andrew Weisenborn (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) also played as an individual, firing a season-best 76 to finish one shot behind Verseman at 157 in a tie for 44th.
Appalachian State and IUPUI tied for the team title with a 36-hole score of 585, while Cleveland State and Georgia Southwestern tied for third overall at 591. Wisconsin-Green Bay was fifth in the standings at 608, finishing two shots ahead of Bradley and Creighton who tied for sixth at 610.
Florida A&M finished one shot back in eighth (611) and tournament-host Butler was ninth overall at 613. Alabama State was 10th at 624, while Eastern Illinois rounded out the field in 11th at 632.
The Braves open a two-day, 36-hole tournament featuring Butler, IUPUI, Eastern Illinois and Wisconsin-Green Bay Wednesday beginning at 8 a.m. at the par-72 Windsor Parke Golf Club.