TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The 23rd-ranked LSU men’s golf team shot a second-round score of 1-over par 285 on Saturday at the Capstone Club in Tuscaloosa to sit in fourth place at the Conrad Rehling Alabama Spring Invitational after two rounds of play.
The Tigers shot a 7-over 291 on Friday in round one, and battled rainy weather on Saturday to shoot the day’s fourth-lowest score. The 14-team field was not able to tee off until around 1 p.m. due to bad weather. It is the second-straight tournament that the weather has been a factor for LSU. The LSU Spring Invitational on March 1-3 in Baton Rouge was reduced to just one round because of rain and freezing temperatures. The Tigers fired a 9-under 279 to win the shortened tournament two weeks ago.
Junior John Humphries kept LSU in the hunt on Saturday, firing a 3-under 68 to place in a three-way tie for third place individually after two rounds. True freshman Heath West is tied for 12th place at 1-over par after shooting an even-par 71 on Saturday. Senior Nathan Goulding is tied for 21st place at 4-over after shooting a 1-over 72 Saturday. Garrett Prather is in 45th place after shooting a 3-over 74, and Jason Horrell is in 65th place at 14-over par.
Minnesota leads the tournament by seven strokes over host Alabama. The Golden Gophers are 3-under after firing a 1-under 283 on Saturday. Alabama is 4-over par after a 3-under 281 in round two. Toledo is in third place at 6-over par, two strokes ahead of LSU. Michigan State rounds out the top five at 14-over par.
Kentucky’s John Holmes moved ahead of the field on Saturday after firing a 5-under 66 in the second round. Holmes was tied for sixth place at 2-under par after Friday’s play, but shot the second-best score of the tournament to climb to the top spot. Alabama’s Nick Rousey shot a 6-under 65 on Saturday to post the best score of the tournament yet.
LSU stayed ahead of five teams currently ranked ahead of the Tigers in their district, District III South. Eight teams from the district are selected to play in a regional, and finishing ahead of those teams would dramatically increase LSU’s chances to make a second-consecutive regional appearance. The Tigers finished tied for 19th at the NCAA East Regional last season at Williamsburg, Va.
“We really battled today, against some really good teams and the weather as well,” said LSU head coach Greg Jones. “We need to pick up some points against these teams in our district, and have a shot to win this thing tomorrow, which we did by playing pretty well today.”
LSU will finish up the tournament with final-round action on Sunday at the Capstone Club. The Tigers’ next tournament is the Schenkel/E-Z-Go Invitational on March 23-24 at Statesboro, Ga.
CONRAD REHLING INVITATIONAL
CAPSTONE CLUB (PAR 71, 6,996 YDS.)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.
TEAM SCORES
1. Minnesota 282-283 — 565 -3; 2. Alabama 291-281 — 572 +4; 3. Toledo 287-287 — 574 +6; 4. LSU 291-285 — 576 +8; 5. Michigan State 294-288 — 582 +14; 6. Ole Miss 295-288 — 583 +15; 7. College of Charleston 300-284– 584 +16; t8. Kentucky 299-286 — 585 +17; t8. Alabama-Birmingham 295-290 — 585 +17; 10. Illinois 304-285 — 589 +21; 11. South Carolina 302-289 — 591 +23; 12. Purdue 293-299 — 592 +24; 13. Miami (Ohio) 303-291 — 594 +26; 14. Vanderbilt 310-286 — 596 +28
TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS
1. John Holmes, Kentucky, 69-66 — 135 -7; 2. Graeme McDowell, UAB, 68-68 — 136 -6; t3. Nick Rousey, Alabama, 73-65– 138 -4; t3. John Humphries, LSU, 70-68 — 138 -4; t3. J.J. Beckstrom, Michigan State, 67-71 — 138 -4
LSU SCORES
t3. John Humphries 70-68 — 138 -4
t12. Heath West 72-71 — 143 +1
t21. Nathan Goulding 74-72 — 146+4
t45. Garrett Prather 76-74 — 150 +8
65. Jason Horrell 75-81 — 156 +14