The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Conrad Rehling Spring Invitational
UAB Climbs To Third At Rehling Invite
3/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
March 12, 2005
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - All five Blazers shot rounds within three of par on Saturday as UAB fired a 294 team score and climbed from fourth to third in the Conrad Rehling Invite hosted by the University of Alabama. Senior Ryan Thomas led the charge with a second round, even par 72, and UAB is in third place and within a stroke of No. 7 Michigan State with one round to go.
Host Alabama fired a second round 284 on the 7,079-yard Ol' Colony Golf Club course to leap-frog Michigan State and take a second round lead. The Crimson Tide has a two-round total of 590 and are 10 strokes ahead of the Spartans (600). UAB's two-round total of 601 is a shot ahead of No. 18 Georgia State while Tulane (610) rounds out the top five teams in the 12-team field. No. 30 Ole Miss is in sixth at 611.
"We played a lot better today," UAB head coach Alan Kaufman said. "It was probably the most consistent round we have turned in all spring. Everyone was pretty steady and if we play the way we're capable on Sunday, we ought to be able to do some good."
Thomas's 72 followed a first-round 77. The improvement moved the senior from Aberdare, Wales, into a tie for 11th on the individual leaderboard with teammate Garrett Osborn, who trimmed a stroke off his first round 75 to fire a two-over 74 on Saturday. Freshman Kaylor Timmons is tied for 19th after a three-over par 75 Saturday which followed a first round 77. Senior Chris Cousins followed a 78 with a 75 in the second round. He is tied for 21st overall with four others. Junior Clark Brown turned in the biggest turnaround the second time through Ol' Colony, carding a 73 - nine shots better than his first round 82 on Friday.
Alabama's Thomas Hagler fired a three-under 69 on Saturday to move into sole possession of the lead in the tournament. He is one stroke a head of teammate Gator Todd and Steve Tiley of Georgia State. Nathan Gunthorpe of Michigan State notched Saturday's low round with a four-under par 68. He has sole possession of fourth place.
The final of the tournament's three rounds underway with a 9 a.m. CT shotgun start on Sunday. After Sunday, UAB will next travel across the country to compete in the Oregon Duck Invitational in Eugene, Ore., March 21-22.
