Concord fans have become all-too-familiar with the effects of bad weather on the Mountain Lions.
Last winter's seemingly unceasing snowfall put CU's Basketball schedules in flux. Snow and rain cut into the Softball team's schedule, and limited the Baseball team to just 38 games.
Now, bad weather – or the threat of it -- has ended the Men's Golf team's season one day earlier than expected.
Citing the threat of heavy weather, the NCAA Men's Golf committee overseeing the Division II National Championship Tournament has decided to cut Concord and four other teams from the event's final round on Friday, May 21st.
Here's the explanation from John Dedmon, Communications Director of the Indiana Sports Commission, one of the organizations co-hosting the tournament at the Sagamore Golf Club in Noblesville, IN:
“With thunderstorms in the forecast for Friday, the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Committee will utilize the administrative cut option provided to them under the tournament's guidelines and procedures. The administrative cut will trim the field to 15 five-member teams (from 20 five-member teams that have competed in the first three rounds) and the remaining top six individuals (in this case, seven individuals due to a tie for sixth) from the 5 five-member teams that were cut and the eight individual competitors who have played the first three rounds. Play will begin at 8 a.m. with three-man groups teeing off holes 1 and 10 until all players are on the course.
This is a change from the first three rounds when groups teed off with morning and afternoon tee times. The administrative cut provides a better chance for 15 teams and a total of 82 players (from an original field of 108) to complete a full 18 holes prior to the forecasted afternoon thunderstorms.
If all 82 players are not able to complete their respective rounds on Friday, the results would revert back to the end of Thursday's third round to crown a national team champion and national individual champion.”
Concord was 17th in the 20-team field after Thursday's third round. The Mountain Lions shot a +19 as a team, the tenth-best total of the third round.
TEAM LEADERBOARD: http://www.golfstatresults.com//public/leaderboards/team/static/team1606.html
One Concord player has met the criteria to play in the final round. Junior Kyle Long, whose 74 Thursday moved him from 36th place into a tie for 23rd, will tee off at 8:12 am EDT Friday. On Thursday, Long was at even par well into the back nine before bogeying #14 and #16. (Long's round-by-round scorecard: http://www.golfstatresults.com/public/leaderboards/player/detail.cfm?player_id=39532&tournament_id=1606)
Ryan Terdik continued to show consistent progress, posting his best round of the tournament on Thursday with a three-over 75. (Terdik's final scorecard: http://www.golfstatresults.com//public/leaderboards/player/static/pdetail39536_1606.html)
Emmanuel Charmat stumbled at the end in round three, finishing at plus-five 77. (Charmat's final scorecard: http://www.golfstatresults.com//public/leaderboards/player/static/pdetail44843_1606.html)
Johan Isberg overcame a shaky start Thursday to record his best round of the tournament. (Isberg's final scorecard: http://www.golfstatresults.com//public/leaderboards/player/static/pdetail67375_1606.html)
Andrew Mehler finished his tournament with an 82 in the third round. (Mehler's scorecard: http://www.golfstatresults.com//public/leaderboards/player/static/pdetail39533_1606.html)
Less-than-ideal weather has been a recurring theme of this year's National tournament. “The course is very tough as it is without the rain and wind,” Concord assistant coach Darcy Donaldson said. “It's a great course and a great test, set up very tough but fair. The guys couldn't learn much about the course in the practice round Monday because of the downpour they had to deal with.”
You can follow Long's round Friday morning with live scoring presented at www.golfstat.com.
