The Minnesota men’s golf team has officially started the Spring portion of it’s schedule after firing an opening round 300 at the Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The Gophers, ranked 41st in the latest Golfweek Top 50, sit in 14th place, eight shots ahead of 15th Purdue.
Senior Clayton Rask (Ostego, Minn.) shot a team-best -2, 70 on Friday and currently sits in a tie for sixth place with four other golfers. Junior Victor Almstrom (Vallingby, Sweden) is close behind after carding a -1, 71 followed by Junior Yu Katayama (Tokoyo, Japan), who is in a tie for 34th after an opening round 74. Katayama is playing the tournament as an individual.
Georgia Tech’s Chesson Hadley and Alabama’s Matthew Swan both opened with -6, 66’s and hold a two-shot lead over Phillip Mollica of Clemson. Clemson and Oklahoma State lead the team competition after both schools shot a -4, 284.
Other Gophers in action at the Puerto Rico Classic include sophomore Ben Pisani (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) with a 77 and senior Andrew Paulson (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and freshman Mikael Salminen (Espoo, Finland) with 82’s.
The second round of the Puerto Rico Classic gets under way on Saturday morning at 7 a.m. (CST) at the par 72, 6,902-yard Rio Grande Country Club in Rio Grande, P.R.
Men’s College Golf
Puerto Rico Classic
Rio Grande, P.R.
Rio Grande Country Club
Par 72; 6,902 Yards
Team Results Round 1
T1. Clemson, Oklahoma State, 284; T3. Alabama, East Tennessee State 289; 5.Northwestern, 290; 6. Michigan, 291; 7. Duke, 292; 8. Virginia Tech, 293; T9. Kent State, Georgia, 294; T11. North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, 296; 13. Texas, 299; 14. Minnesota, 300; 15. Purdue, 308.
Top 10 Individuals
T1. Chesson Hadley (Ga. Tech) -6, 66; T1. Matthew Swan (Ala.) -6, 66; 3. Phillip Mollica (Clem.) -4, 68; T4. Rickie Fowler (Okla. St.) -3, 69; T4. Trent Leon (Okla. St.) -3, 69; T6. Michael Schachner (Duke) -2, 70; T6. Clayton Rask (Minn.) -2, 70; T6. Gareth Shaw (ETSU) -2, 70; T6. David Lipsky (N’western) -2, 70; T6. Darren Blair (NC State) -2, 70.
Minnesota Individuals
T6. Clayton Rask -2, 70; T11. Victor Almstrom -1, 71; T34. Yu Katayma +2, 74*;T58. Ben Pisani +5, 77; T75. Andrew Paulson +10, 82; T75. Mikael Salminen +10, 82.
*Playing as an Individual
