Liberty University
James Madison
Dukes Down Flames in Head-To-Head Matchup
1/29/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Strong play during the afternoon allowed James Madison to move ahead of Liberty and claim a 13-stroke victory in a 36-hole, head-to-head matchup on Sunday.
Liberty, who ended the fall ranked No. 32 in the country in the final Golfstat rankings, carded a six-under par 282 during its first trek around the Deer Creek Course at The Landing Club (par 72, 7,094 yards).
However, the winds picked up during the afternoon flight and the Dukes, who ranked No. 58 in the country after the fall, weathered the challenging conditions better than Liberty.
James Madison carded a seven-under par 569 (284-285) on the day, finishing 13 strokes ahead of Liberty's six-over par 582 (282-300).
Three out of the 16 golfers competing in the head-to-head event managed to card under-par scores, with all three coming from the Dukes' starting lineup.
Ryan Cole led all golfers with a 7-under par 137 (71-66), followed by Shota Ozaki's 4-under par 140 (71-69). Jack Floydd was the final golfer to break par, carding a 1-under par 143 (69-74). Rounding out the Dukes' starting five was Quinn Tardif, who carded a 7-over par 151 (73-78), and Alex Henderson, who finished with an 8-over par 152 (76-76).
Gabe Lench and Isaiah Logue paced the way for the Flames with both golfers shooting an even par 144. Lench (66-78) tied Cole for the low round of the day, opening with a 6-under par 66. Logue was more consistent on the day with rounds of 71 and 73 en route to his 144 score.
Hutson Chandler finished two shots behind Lench and Logue, carding a 2-over par 146 (71-75). Kieran Vincent followed with a 6-over par 150 (74-76) and Payton Taylor finished out Liberty's starting five with an 11-over par 155 (79-76).
Both teams also had three individuals compete during the head-to-head matchup – Liberty: Ervin Chang (79-77-156/12-over par), Tyler Abrahamsen (80-81-161/17-over par), Mitchell Klooz (81-81-162/18-over par); James Madison: Walker Cress (72-73-145/1-over par), Poom Pattaropong (77-73-150/6-over par), Matt Cowgill (78-80-156/12-over par).
The Flames will resume the tournament portion of their spring schedule on Feb. 6-7 when they participate in the Sea Best Invitational. The two-day, 54-hole event will be contested on the Valley Course at TPC – Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
