May 31, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 16 Auburn men's golf team (304-914) missed the 15-team cut line for fourth round play at the 2008 NCAA Championship on the par-72, 7,462-yard Kampen Course at Purdue's Birck Boilermaker Complex on Saturday.
Senior Steven Groover (74-228) led all Tigers in the event. The Birmingham, Ala., native carded a three round total of 12-over par. Seniors Patton Kizzire (75-229) and Gordon Strother (77-229) were 13-over, senior Jay Moseley (78-230) was 16-over and junior Glenn Northcutt (79-233) was 19-over.
"Not too many teams from the afternoon wave in the third round even have a chance to make the cut," said Auburn head Coach Mike Griffin. "We did what we needed to do to put ourselves in position. It is very tough coming out early in the morning and start on these tough finishing holes."
Teeing off at noon Friday in 18th, the Tigers had advanced as many as four spots on the leader board over the course of third round play, leaving the course Friday in a tie for 14th. Only two teams from the afternoon wave of tee times, San Diego State and Louisville, made it past the cut line.
Third round play was suspended Friday at 5:45 p.m. EST due to strong thunderstorms responsible for a tornado warning in the area. A shotgun start was set for 7:00 a.m. Saturday but fog delay pushed the start time back one hour.
Auburn was unable to maintain its four stroke lead over Middle Tennessee State, who had finished its third round Friday. The Tigers carded a bogey and two double-bogeys on No. 18. Had Auburn finished the third round tied with Middle Tennessee State, the Tigers would have advanced on a scorecard playoff.
No. 18 gave the Tigers problems in all three rounds, claiming a total of 12 strokes in the form of four bogies and four doubles. Moseley scored a second round birdie on the hole, one of only 19 so far in the tournament. Through the first three rounds of play, No. 18 claimed 185 bogeys and 49 doubles, more than any other hole on the course.
"We didn't miss the cut because of the two doubles on the last hole," said Griffin. "We missed it long before that. We counted two doubles on the final hole all three rounds.
"I told the guys to keep their heads up and that they have nothing to be ashamed of. I am really proud of them."
After three rounds, No. 4 UCLA (298-888) is in the lead followed by No. 3 USC (300-891), No. 14 Clemson (288-891), No. 6 Stanford (296-893), No. 5 Oklahoma State (301-895), No. 7 Florida (306-899), Kent State (302-900), No. 2 Georgia (305-901), Washington (307-902), No. 1 Alabama (297-903), No. 8 Charlotte (306-907), No. 23 Louisville (300-907), San Diego State (294-907), No. 18 Texas A&M (306-909) and Middle Tennessee State (311-913).
Under the cut line are Auburn (304-914), No. 19 Arizona State (312-916), Illinois (312-916), Texas (297-920), UC-Irvine (302-919), No. 24 Indiana (297-920), UAB (315-923), No. 17 Wake Forest (305-923), No. 20 East Tenn. State (310-923), Penn State (313-926), Virginia (312-935), Mississippi State (312-935), Oregon (316-935), Augusta State (320-936) and St. Mary's (307-949).
UCLA's Kevin Chappell (68-210) is currently in the individual lead, followed by Clemson's Kyle Stanley (74-214) and Washington's Nick Taylor (73-214).
Round four tee times were set for 11:18 a.m. Live stats for fourth round action can be found at www.golfstat.com.