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No. 9 Bulldog Men’s Golf Moves up to Seventh on Day 2 of NCAA Championships

The No. 9 University of Redlands men’s golf team continues to inch toward the top as the Bulldogs’ stroke total through two rounds on Thursday (595) equals that of No. 4 Illinois Wesleyan University, earning the team a share of seventh place at the 2009 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships at the PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, FL.

Redlands competed on the 7,123-yard, par-72 Dye Course after having played on the 6,953-yard, par-72 Ryder Course Wednesday.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs was sophomore Alex Hedlund (Arlington, WA), whose round of 74 (+2) moved him from a tie for sixth to a tie for fourth with a cumulative-stroke tally of 144. Hedlund struggled early, bogeying four holes on the front nine while only sinking two birdies, but he evened himself out after the turn, shooting even par the rest of the way. On Wednesday, he shot two under on the Ryder Course.

The team’s regular-season standout, junior Ross Canavan (Redlands, CA), treaded water at four over par on the tournament (148), carding an even-par 72 to occupy a share of 26th place. Senior J.C. Riter (Portland, OR) posted a score of 77, which falls just one stroke shy of his Wednesday mark. He now sits at nine over par with a 153 event total.

Sophomore Todd Steller (Poway, CA) and sophomore Scott Peña (Encinitas, CA) rounded out the Bulldog golfers present, posting scores of 75 and 82, respectively.

With its seventh-place score, the Maroon and Gray survives the cut to 23 teams. Monmouth College (IL) slipped in as the 23rd-place squad after 36 holes.

The No. 3 University of La Verne powered itself into first place, jumping No. 2 Methodist College after a remarkable second round. The Leopards hold a seven-stroke advantage with a two-day total of 575, owning the lone score under par at one under.

Mitchell Fedorka, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Lee Fulmer Athlete of the Year, holds a three-shot lead over teammate Rizal Amin at six under par for first place in the individual standings.

Redlands returns to the Dye Course tomorrow as it resumes its quest for a national title. The first group is scheduled to tee off at 7:30 a.m.

For live scoring throughout the tournament, please visit http://golfstatresults.com/public/index.cfm?tournament_id=1502.