March 12, 2007

By Matt Crouch
www.SIUSalukis.com

TRUSSVILLE, Ala. - Led by last week's Missouri Valley Conference Golfer of the Week Andrew Gwinup, the Southern Illinois University men's golf team finds itself tied for 11th place following the second round of the Samford Intercollegiate.

Hosted by the Samford University, the Samford Intercollegiate is a 54-hole tournament taking place at Limestone Springs Golf Course in Trussville, Ala. The par-72 course plays at 7,100 yards.

The Salukis carded rounds of 307-311 to finish the day with a 42-over-par 618, 45 strokes out of first place. SIU is currently tied with the University of Dayton after the Flyers posted rounds of 316-302.

Eastern Kentucky heads in to Tuesday's final round as the team leader, posting a 3-under-par 573 after the first day of action. EKU's Shaun McConnell carries the individual lead in to the final round as he comes in with a 6-under-par 138.

Gwinup leads the Salukis after the second round with a 4-over-par 148, finishing the day tied for 23rd. He fired an even-par 72 in the first round, following it up with a 4-over 76 in the second round.

Sitting six strokes behind Gwinup is fellow senior Daniel Tomlin in a tie for 44th with a 10-over-par 154. Freshman Blake Driskell is one stroke behind Tomlin, finishing the day in a tie for 47th.

Brandon Vagner and Braxton Weaver round out Saluki scoring as the duo comes in a tie for 68th with a pair of 17-over-par 161s.

Vagner and Weaver shot identical rounds of 79-82 to finish out the first day of action.

Final-round play is set to begin at 9 a.m. on Tues., March 13 with a shotgun start at Limestone Springs Golf Course.

TEAM SCORING
1 - Eastern Kentucky University - 283-290--573 (-3)
2 - University of New Orleans - 296-283--579 (+3)
T3 - Troy University - 289-291--580 (+4)
T3 - Austin Peay State University - 293-287--580 (+4)
5 - Tennessee Technological University - 295-291--586 (+10)
6 - Illinois State University - 296-292--588 (+12)
T7 - Western Carolina University - 296-300--596 (+20)
T7 - Murray State University - 299-297--596 (+20)
9 - Samford University - 305-294--599 (+23)
10 - Wofford College - 297-317--614 (+38)
T11 - Southern Illinois University - 307-311--618 (+42)
T11 - University of Dayton - 316-302--618 (+42)
13 - Morehead State University - 312-312--624 (+48)
14 - Lipscomb University - 311-315--626 (+50)
15 - University of Tennessee at Martin - 310-320--630 (+54)
16 - Tennessee State University - 318-316--634 (+58)
17 - Samford University JV - 322-331--653 (+77)

INDIVIDUAL SCORING
T23 - Andrew Gwinup - 72-76--148 (+4)
T44 - Daniel Tomlin - 77-77--154 (+10)
T47 - Blake Driskell - 79-76--155 (+11)
T68 - Brandon Vagner - 79-82--161 (+17)
T68 - Braxton Weaver - 79-82--161 (+17)