Feb. 10, 2012
Bracket and Results
The Minnesota men’s golf team advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Match Play Championship by defeating 23rd-ranked Illinois, the tournament’s top seed. The score was 3-3, with the Golden Gophers winning on a tiebreaker based on the number of holes won. Minnesota will face Purdue in the semifinals on Saturday.
Erik Van Rooyen and Illinois’s Luke Guthrie were the last pairing on the course. The Fighting Illini led, 3-2, while Van Rooyen’s match was still in progress. Guthrie, a top-10 player nationally, was 1-up after the 16th hole, but Van Rooyen birdied the 17th while Guthrie made par. The match was all square heading to the 18th, where Van Rooyen made par to earn a 1-up win and clinch the Gophers’ team victory.
Tim Peterzen and Tyler Lowenstein provided Minnesota’s other two wins. Peterzen beat Ross Frankenberg, 5&3, taking control after the third hole, and Lowenstein beat Brian Campbell, 4&3, owning the lead from the second hole on.
Robert Bell’s match with Thomas Pieters was all square heading into the final hole, which Pieters birdied to earn the 1-up win. Mason Jacobs beat Jon Trasamar, 2&1, and Jonathan Hauter beat David Haley Jr., 3&1.
“It’s always good to beat the No. 1 team,” head coach John Carlson said.
The Gophers had advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating ninth-seeded Michigan by a score of 4.5-1.5 earlier in the day. Peterzen played the shortest match for Minnesota, beating Noori Hyun, 7&5. He took the lead after the second hole, and never lost a hole during the match.
Haley. won, 3&2 over Matt Alessi. Van Rooyen and Lowenstein each posted 2&1 victories against Matt Thompson and Matt Felsenfeld, respectively. Bell halved his match with Jack Schultz, and the Wolverines’ Miguel Echavarria earned a 1-up win over Trasamar.
The Gophers tee off against Purdue at 7:30 ET (6:30 CT) Saturday morning. As the fourth seed, Purdue had a bye in the first round before defeating Nebraska, 5-1, in the quarterfinals.
“We beat Purdue last year, and obviously we’re a better team now than we were last year,” Carlson said. “I think we have a good shot.”
Highlights from tomorrow’s action will air on BTN on Mar. 11 at 11:00 a.m. CT.
