The Seattle University men’s golf team showed what it was capable of Monday, shooting two rounds under par to end the day in second place after 36 holes of the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate, hosted by Washington State University at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club.
Ross Kukula (Ocean Park, Wash.) played steady in the first round with three birdies and just two bogeys for a morning score of 70 (-1). In the afternoon, he collected eight birdies against just four bogeys to shoot 67 (-4), moving into a tie for third place at the end of the day at 137 (-5).
Patrick Sato (Bellevue, Wash.) picked up five birdies during his first round as he matched Kukula with a 70 (-1), and then he earned five more birdies in the second round with just one blemish, a double-bogey on the 15th hole, to post 68 (-3) for a two-round total of 138 (-4), good enough for a tie for eighth place.
Joe Harvie (Orting, Wash.) finished the first round at even-par 71 thanks to two birdies, a double-bogey, and 15 pars, and then he shot 70 (-1) in the second round thanks to five birdies over his final eight holes, ending the day in a tie for 22nd place at 141 (-1). Kyle Cornett (Mill Creek, Wash.) was the third Redhawk to shoot 70 (-1) in the first round, but then he found trouble on three of his final four holes of the day to shoot 75 (+4) in the second round to end up in a tie for 38th place at 145 (+3).
Ahren Young (Renton, Wash.) struggled to a first-round score of 80 (+9), but then improved in the afternoon thanks to two late birdies for a 73 (+2), putting him in a tie for 61st place at 153 (+11). Ryan Hunt (Pitt Meadows, B.C.) also improved as the day went along, lowering his score from a first round 92 (+21) to a second round 81 (+10) to finish Monday in 65th place at 173 (+31).
Seattle U shot 281 (-3) in the first round to establish itself in second place, a position the Redhawks would maintain after a second round 278 (-6) for a 36-hole total of 559 (-9), one stroke ahead of third place Cal State Fullerton. Host school Washington State shot the two lowest rounds of the day for a 20-stroke lead at 539 (-29), with the Cougars’ Derek Bayley racing out to a five-stroke lead at 131 (-11), with Kukula six strokes behind the leader, but just one stroke in back of second-place Tyler Carlson of Oregon State.
The third and final round is scheduled for a shotgun start Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 8:30 a.m., with Seattle U golfers teeing off on the first through fourth holes, along with Hunt starting his round on the 18th hole.