Despite Doubles & Triples, Cal is Minus 12 after Day 1 of Gopher Invitational

WAYZATA -- Each of the top four players from the University of California-Berkeley at the end of the first day of competition at the Gopher Invitational had a double bogey or worse on his card in the second round. Despite the multiple mini-disasters, the Bears are 12 under par and 14 strokes ahead going into Monday's final round.

They led by 18 after blitzing Spring Hill Golf Club to the tune of 14-under 274 on Sunday morning. in the afternoon, they survived the carnage by making lots of birdies and shot a combined 290, which has them at 564 so far. 

Cal's Max Homa birdied four of his last five holes in Round 1 for a 67, and even though he made a double bogey 6 at the 10th hole in the afternoon, he managed to finish with a 70. That works out to 137 for 36 holes, which was four strokes better than the next-best Sunday total.

Another Bear, Brandon Hagy, led after 18 with a 66. Things didn't go nearly as well in the afternoon. A triple bogey 7 at the 12th put him at 5 over through eight holes (there was a shotgun start), but he rallied to shoot 75 and is tied for second place at 141 with New Mexico's Victor Perez (73-68).

SMU wasn't all that close to being in the top 5 after the first round. But in the second, the Mustangs got a hole in one at the 150-yard 17th hole from Harry Higgs and a double-eagle 2 at the 540-yard third as they shot 275 and took over second place with a 578.

Kent State is third with a 580 (297-283).

The host team from Minnesota didn't have a great day. The Gophers were in the mix, more or less, after a 306 in the morning, before shooting a 313 in the afternoon, which relegated them to 12th place in the 15-team field with an overall 619.   

St. John's Casey Vangsness, a junior from Alexandria, is actually the low Minnesota player. The two-time Resorters champion had a 71 in the first round before slipping back into the pack with a 78 in the second. His overall 149 has him tied for 22nd.

The Gophers' prize recruit, Jon DuToit, followed a similar path. A freshman from Chaska, DuToit, who concluded his high school career by winning the Class AAA portion of the state tournament, opened with a 73 on Sunday but shot 79 in the afternoon and is at 152.

DuToit's new teammate, Erik Van Rooyen, a Minnesota senior from South Africa -- and the reigning Minnesota State Amateur champ --- came back from a less-than-stellar opening round with a 75 to end the day tied with DuToit for 37th place.  

MEN'S COLLEGE GOLF

Gopher Invitational

At Spring Hill Golf Club

Par 72, 7,020 yards

Wayzata

Second-round results 

1. California                 274-290--564

2. SMU                          303-275--578

3. Kent State                297-283--580

4. New Mexico            304-281--585

5. Lamar                       292-301--593

6. Arkansas                  300-295--595

7. Oklahoma                299-297--596

8. North Texas             296-303--599

9. Iowa                          303-298--601

10. Memphis               304-300--604

11. Arizona State       306-302--608

12. Minnesota            306-313--619

13. Charlotte              312-308--620

14. St. John's             319-312--631

Penn State                 310-DNF

Individuals 

1. Max Homa, California                     67-70--137

T2. Brandon Hagy, California            66-75--141

T2. Victor Perez, NM                            73-68--141

4. Taylor Pendrith, Kent. State           72-70--142

T5. Michael Kim, California                71-72--143

T5. Michael Weaver, Cal.                   70-73--143

T22. Casey Vangsness, St. John's 71-78--149

T37. Jon DuToit, Minnesota               73-79--152

T37. Erik Van Rooyen, Minn.             77-75--152

T62. Dennis Granath, St. John's       81-76--157

T64. David Haley, Minnesota             75-83--158

T67. Tyler Lowenstein, Minnesota   81-79--160

T67. Drew Lynch, St. John's              84-76--160

69. Jon Trasamar, Minnesota           78-83--161*

71. Alex Gaugert, Minnesota             84-80--164

T72. Brett Draxler, St. John's           83-82--165

74. Colton Buege, Minnesota            88-82--170*

Derek Brinker, St. John's                  DQ-88

*-indicates players who were competing as individuals only