April 30, 2010
MAPLE PLAIN, Minn. - After finishing in third place in their last two tournaments, the Purdue men's golf team finds themselves in third place yet again following the first two rounds of the Big Ten Men's Golf Championships. The Boilermakers recorded a two-round total of 577 (+9).
Minnesota is playing host to the field at the par-71, 7,380-yard Windsong Farm. The field played 36 holes today starting at 9 a.m. ET. The tournament will conclude with one round each on Saturday and Sunday.
Purdue was in a tie for sixth after round one but carded an even-par 284 to move into third place. The Boilermakers currently sit three strokes behind second place Iowa, and one stroke ahead of fourth-place Northwestern. Illinois leads the field after recording two consecutive rounds of 281 (-3).
Junior Erich Johnston used two rounds of one-under 70 to lead Purdue. His two-round total of 140 places the Fort Wayne, Ind. native in fifth place. Classmate Nakarintra Ratanakul tallied a team-best 68 (-3) in round two to bring his two-round total to 141 (-1). Other scoring Boilermakers included sophomore Tyler Duncan with a 147, sophomore William Sjaichudin with a 151 and freshman Henry Plager with a 155.
Zach Barlow of Illinois leads the field after carding a tournament-low 66 (-5) in round two. That round followed a one-under 70 to bring his total to 136 and place him two strokes ahead of second place Bo Hoag of Ohio State.
The Boilermakers are looking to solidify their résumé for an NCAA Regionals bid. To qualify for Regionals, a team must either win its conference tournament or finish the season with a record of .500 or better in a cumulative head-to-head comparison of the field at each of its events.
Saturday's action will commence at 10 a.m. ET, and play will get under way at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday. Live scoring for the Big Ten Championships will be available at golfstat.com. The Big Ten Network will broadcast the tournament on a tape-delayed basis at noon ET on Sunday, May 23.