APSU Sports: Austin Peay Men’s Golf
Bowling Green, KY – Anthony Bradley performed better, Friday, but the Austin Peay State University sophomore could not get anything going on the greens during the second day of the NCAA Golf Regional, being held at The Club of Olde Stone in Bowling Green, KY.
Bradley eliminated many of Thursday’s mistakes but couldn’t get any birdie putts to drop during the round. As a result, he shot a 6-over 78 for a two-day total 158, leaving him tied for 64th.
“It is just very frustrating. This is the toughest course I have ever played. It’s the fastest greens I have ever played. I had a couple of chances out there, but I just couldn’t convert them. I felt I should have shot 73 or 74, but I ended up a little higher than that. It was just one of those things.”
Starting on nine, Bradley played the first four holes at one over, the same group of holes that saw him at six over on Thursday. His bogey at No. 11 came after his fairway second shot found tall grass well left of the green. His chip didn’t hold on the extremely fast greens and he was forced to chip back onto the green before two-putting.
His best shot the first nine holes perhaps came at No. 18. His tee shot found the rough on the right side. His chip from the tall grass barely missed clearing the green’s steep hill and rolled back down the hill. However, his second chip landed less than three feet from the cup. He saved par with the putt.
He continued his solid play on holes No. 1 and 2, but he bogeyed No. 3 and No. 5 and then bogeyed two of the final three holes.
“Yesterday I put a few bad swings on them and ended up with some big numbers,” Bradley said. “I hit the ball lot more solid today. Yesterday I had three double bogeys and today I just had bogeys. I couldn’t get a run going. On six, I am three feet away for birdie. On 7, I am 30 yards away on the third shot and I ended up with a bogey,
“It was just like yesterday,” APSU coach Kirk Kayden said. “You make a few minor mistakes and things get magnified.
“Still he had lot of positives today. He just didn’t make any birdies, no doubles, but too many bogeys. He left a few slip away at the end.”
Now Kayden wants to see Bradley finish strong on Saturday to take that momentum into the offseason.
“He has figured out this is a different level than we have played all year with competition and the difficulty of the golf course,” Kayden said. “This is a great learning experience for him, with him being just a sophomore. It is a good gauge where ‘I am at with these elite players.’ He’s finding it out. He told me on the one fairway what a great learning experience it was, but also how much work he had to do.
“The goal for tomorrow is just go out there relax and finish on a good note.”
Team-wise Texas A&M made a huge jump with a 10-under 278 (573) to move into second place just two shots behind leader UCLA (573). Chattanooga is just four shots back at 575 after a 281 Friday.
