PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Sophomore Leon Fricker carded a second round 72, and senior Rafael Abad posted a 73, helping the Bethune-Cookman University men’s golf team extend its lead heading into the final round of the 28th PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship. The annually renowned event is taking place at the Wanamaker in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
The 2014 edition of the Championship features nearly 200 players representing more than 40 colleges and universities. The 54-hole Championship concludes Sunday.
With B-CU senior Matthew McKnight setting the tone in Friday’s opening round, fellow United Kingdom native Leon Fricker chose Saturday’s second round to bounce back from an unusually high score performance in Friday’s opening 18 holes.
Both Bethune-Cookman, who finished with a two-day total of 595, and Alabama State will be competing in NCAA regionals next week, with the Cats heading to the NCAA Raleigh [N.C.] Regional.
“The men’s team came out a little stagnant yesterday,” said B-CU Director of Golf Loritz “Scooter” Clark, also a PGA professional. “We practiced really hard following yesterday’s round and the team really improved today.”
Fricker, the 2014 B-CU Gary Freeman Spring Invitational Champion, picked up an even-par 72 round in his second day on the course, bouncing back from Friday’s opening round 79. Also playing well for the Wildcats was Rafael Abad, firing a 2-over-par 74 on Saturday. Abad leads the B-CU field of scorers, posting rounds of 73 and 74 for a 147 scorecard heading into Sunday’s championship round.
McKnight struggled a bit Saturday, recording a 9-over-par 81, but he still holds a 150 two-round card, second-best on the team behind Abad.
B-CU senior Emmanuel Petrich cut four strokes from Friday’s round, carding a 2-over-par 74 on Saturday, giving him a two-day 152 score. Sophomore Ryan Fricker – the 2014 MEAC Individual Champion, cut a stroke off his Friday performance with a 5-over-par 77 in Saturday’s outing. He has a two-day 155 card heading into tomorrow’s finale.
Fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team Savannah State University was boosted by a sparking 5-under-par 67 by Travis Roe and sits third place overall, eight shots off the pace. Roe’s 18-hole score was the lowest of the Championship thus far.
The Wildcats will look to capture their second consecutive PGA Minority Championship title on Sunday, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship, which originated in November 1986 following the Jackson State University Golf Tournament, has elevated golf in minority colleges and universities by providing opportunities to more players to compete in a national championship.
In 2006, the PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management of the championship by the National Minority Collegiate Golf Scholarship Fund.