FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Junior John Murdock and senior Drew McCullough both stayed hot on Monday as the Cowboys played their first 36 holes at the Ram Masters Invitational, posting a team score of 563 (+3) to find themselves in third place in the 19-team field with one round of golf remaining. Murdock is currently second on the individual leaderboard after carding rounds of 66 (-4) and 68 (-2) for a total of 134 (-6) on Monday, while McCullough is tied for fourth place individually after shooting 64 (-6) and 72 (+2) for a total of 136 (-4).
"The afternoon played tougher than the morning," said UW head coach Joe Jensen at the conclusion of the first day of play. "We had a nice day. We played hard. It was our first 36-hole day of the year and it was just good for us to get one of those long days under our belts. We had a few hiccups and some emotional moments, but all in all, it was really good. I'm proud of the kids. We're going to play hard and try to execute tomorrow and see if we can't bring home a good finish."
Coming off his first career individual win at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Murdock continued his momentum on Monday with a very impressive 36 holes at the challenging Fort Collins Country Club. Starting the day with a birdie, Murdock recorded four more birdies and just one bogey in the opening round to shoot 66. The second round was tougher for the Cowboy junior, but he grinded out five birdies to help offset three bogies for a total score of 68. Murdock has recorded a score below 70 in four of his five rounds so far this season. The day one total of 134 (-6) for the Laramie native is just two shots off the lead held by Francois Lagraulet of UMKC.
"I felt like I was just ready to get out and play," Murdock said following Monday's 36 holes. "The course is tough and you have to be very patient. I had the same strategy as last tournament. Emotionally, I felt very steady. That's an equation for playing good golf. You just roll with the punches."
After bogeying his second hole of the day, McCullough found his groove early as he birdied six of the next 10 holes on his way to an opening-round 64, the best score in the field of 104 golfers. While he moved into a tie for fourth after a second-round 72, McCullough currently sits just four shots back of the lead.
Seniors Glenn Workman and Quintin Pope are each tied for 41st with a total score of 147 (+7) after the first day of competition. Workman followed an opening-round 73 (+3) with a second-round 74 (+4) while Pope posted a 72 (+2) and 75 (+5). Fellow senior Arron Lickteig is currently tied for 62nd on the individual leaderboard after starting the day with a 72 (+2) and finishing with a 77 (+7) for a total of 149 (+9). Wyoming's lone individual, freshman Carl Underwood, recorded rounds of 77 (+7) and 76 (+6) for a first-day total of 153 (+13).
Wyoming trails UMKC (562, +2) by just one stroke for second place, while host Colorado State holds a large team lead with a team score of 548 (-12) on Monday. TCU (565, +5) and Sam Houston State (572, +12) round out the top five teams with 18 holes to go on Tuesday. Wyoming will play with Colorado State, UMKC and TCU during the final round of play on Tuesday, with Lickteig set to tee off first in the Cowboy lineup at 9:40 a.m. MT. The remainder of Wyoming's lineup will follow in 10-minute increments. Fans can follow live results for the final round at the link above, while additional information is available by following @wyo_golf on twitter.
Wyoming Results
2. John Murdock: 66+68 = 134 (-6)
T4. Drew McCullough: 64+72 = 136 (-4)
T41. Glenn Workman: 73+74 = 147 (+7)
T41. Quintin Pope: 72+75 = 147 (+7)
T62. Arron Lickteig: 72+77 = 149 (+9)
T89. Carl Underwood (I): 77+76 = 153 (+13)
Team Standings
1. Colorado State: 268+280 = 548 (-12)
2. UMKC: 281+281 = 562 (+2)
3. Wyoming: 274+289 = 563 (+3)
4. TCU: 282+283 = 565 (+5)
5. Sam Houston State: 280+292 = 572 (+12)
