Scott Kretzmann
ASC Sports
Information Director
LAKEWOOD, Colo.— Adams State College freshman Scott Patrick (Canon City, Colo.) continued his strong play turning in his second top 10 finish of the spring season and his best two rounds of his career at the weather-shortened Bob Writz Invitational, played on Monday here at Fox Hollow Golf Course.
Patrick posted a morning round of 75 on the par-71, 6,808-yard course before turning in an even par score of 36 in the afternoon round, which was shortened to nine holes because of slow play, caused by poor weather throughout the day. The nine teams and a handful of individuals were then scheduled to play another 18-hole round on Tuesday, but that effort was wiped out by overnight and Tuesday morning snowfall.
Patrick, who bested his previous career-best of 76 in the opening round, tallied a 4-over par total of 111 in the 27 completed holes and led the Grizzlies to an eighth place finish with a 27-hole total of 480. The Grizzlies posted a spring season-best 318 in the morning round and were in seventh place before slipping back slightly with a 162 in the 9-hole afternoon round.
Tournament host Colorado Mines won the team crown at 433, just five strokes over par. The Orediggers had three of the top four finishers, who each played at par or below, and tallied team scores of 290 and 143, respectively.
Regis finished second at 439 while Sioux Falls, led by individual winner Levi Smith, finished third at 454. Smith posted a 5-under par 66 in the morning and finished the 27-hole affair at 103 (-4). Jim Knous and Cory Bacon, both of Colorado Mines, finished tied for second at 106 (-1) while Michael Lee took fourth at even par 107. Bacon was playing as an individual as was his Oredigger teammate Adam Saban, who tied for fifth overall at 108 (+1). Both played the afternoon in 2-under par 34 and were the only players to fare better than Patrick in the second round.
Minnesota-Crookston (458) and Minot State (N.D.) (459) took fourth and fifth respectively, while Augustana (S.D.) moved up to take sixth at 476. South Dakota Mines was seventh, just three strokes ahead of the Grizzlies at 477 while Oklahoma Panhandle State rounded out the field at 486.
Individually, Grizzly senior Jonathan Atencio (Alamosa, Colo.) was the Grizzlies’ second finisher as he tied for 35th at 122. Atencio posted his best round of the spring (79) in the morning before carding a 43 in the 9-hole second round.
Meanwhile, sophomore Ben Kelloff (Monte Vista, Colo.) tied for 40th at 124 (83-41) while junior Andrew Kennedy (Casper, Wyo.) and senior Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) tied each other and two others for 42nd at 125. Kennedy made a team-high four birdies and was tied for the tournament lead in par-3 scoring after an opening round of 81 before posting a 44 in the second round. Hensley posted scores of 83 and 42, respectively.
The Grizzlies will return to action this weekend competing in the DQ Thunder Wolf Invitational, hosted by Colorado State University-Pueblo at Walking Stick Golf Course. The teams play a practice round/College-Am on Saturday before contesting 54 holes on Sunday and Monday.
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