Oct. 30, 2006

BY Matt Crouch
www.SIUSalukis.com

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After firing the lowest 36-hole total in the history of the program, the Southern Illinois University men's golf team finds itself in a tie for second at the Buffalo Rock / Southern Showdown, sitting one stroke out of the lead.

Hosted by Birmingham Southern College, the Buffalo Rock / Southern Showdown is a 54-hole tournament taking place at Bent Brook Golf Course in Birmingham, Ala. The par-71 course plays at 7,075 yards.

The Salukis carded a 6-under-par 278 in the first round of the tournament, the second-lowest 18-hole total on record at SIU, following it up with a 3-under 281 in the second round to finish the first day of the tournament with a 9-under-par 559.

Southern Illinois is currently tied with Berry College at 9-under and is one stroke behind second-round leader Murray State.

SIU's Andrew Rauscher is currently in the lead with an 8-under-par 134. The junior transfer from River Falls, Wisc., fired rounds of 68-66--134 in the first day of play. Rauscher's 8-under 134 sets a new 36-hole record for SIU, while giving him his fifth and sixth rounds in the 60s this season.

Rauscher is in the lead by one stroke over Murray State's Jerry Price.

Senior co-captain Andrew Gwinup is second among the Salukis as he finished the first day in a tie for 14th. Gwinup carded rounds of 70-71--141 to finish at 1-under-par after the first 36 holes of play.

Next for the Salukis, and two strokes behind Gwinup, is Mark Schmitz. The senior co-captain is tied for 27th with a 1-over-par 143. He is followed by junior transfer Matt Ellis, who is in a tie for 30th with a 2-over-par 144.

Rounding out scoring for SIU is Blake Driskell. The freshman from Cape Girardeau, Mo. is in a tie for 41st with a 3-over-par 145.

Of the 10 rounds of golf played by the Salukis on Monday, SIU managed to finish seven of them at par or better.

Final-round action in the Buffalo Rock / Southern Showdown is set to kick off at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31 with a shotgun start.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Second-round results from the Buffalo Rock / Southern Showdown hosted by Birmingham Southern College at Bent Brook Golf Course. Par: 71. Yardage: 7,075.

TEAM SCORING
1 - Murray State University - 278-280--558 (-10)
T2 - Southern Illinois University - 278-281--559 (-9)
T2 - Berry College - 273-286--559 (-9)
T4 - Birmingham Southern College - 277-285--562 (-6)
T4 - Wofford College - 283-279--562 (-6)
6 - Tennessee Tech University - 289-284--573 (+5)
7 - Samford University - 291-283--574 (+6)
8 - United States Military Academy - 291-286--577 (+9)
9 - University of Evansville - 290-289--579 (+11)
T10 - University of Tennessee at Martin - 292-288--580 (+12)
T10 - University of Montevallo - 296-284--580 (+12)
12 - Nicholls State University - 286-295--581 (+13)
13 - Jackson State University - 288-295--583(+15)
14 - Birmingham Southern College "B Team" - 296-297--593 (+25)
15 - Savannah State University - 303-291--594 (+26)
16 - Samford University - 302-296--598 (+30)
17 - Faulkner University - 308-305--613 (+45)

INDIVIDUAL SCORING
1 - Andrew Rauscher - 68-66--134 (-8)
T14 - Andrew Gwinup - 70-71--141 (-1)
T27 - Mark Schmitz - 73-70--143 (+1)
T30 - Matt Ellis - 69-75--144 (+2)
T41 - Blake Driskell - 71-74--145 (+3)