DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman junior Leon Fricker carded a second round two-over-par 74 to place himself sixth, and help the Wildcats to a third place showing after the opening day of the B-CU Gary Freeman Spring Invitational at LPGA International. B-CU is the host of the fourth annual event.
With a field of 13 teams on the men’s side of this year’s competition, Bethune-Cookman started off slow in its opening 18 holes, only to come back for a tournament second-best round in their final time out in the afternoon.
All golfers played 36 holes Friday on the Hills Course in conditions that were less than favorable. Winds were clocked at a maximum speed of 32 miles per hour, while clouds covered the entire Central Florida area throughout the day.
Leon Fricker (Ivybridge, England) began his tournament with a five-over-par 77, but was able to card a two-over-par 74 in his second round. That allowed him to sit sixth after the opening day’s action, turning in a 151 (+7) scorecard.
Classmate Bradley Peil (Rescue, Calif.) is competing as an individual for the Wildcats, but managed to card the team’s second-best score Friday. The Ponderosa High alum fired an opening-round 76, followed by a 79 to turn in an 11-over (155) card on the day, earning a top-10 place at ninth in the tournament field.
Fellow junior Jackson Kneeshaw (Darlington, England) fired a two-round 156 (79-77, +12) to finish tied for 10th overall.
Scott Lemon (Manitoba, Winnipeg) and Connor O’Brien (Harpenden, England) each boasted a 158 total card. Lemon fired an opening round 80, followed by a 6-over 78. As for teammate O’Brien, he shot an 82 to open, followed by a 4-over 76 to close the day.
Ian Clark (Somerset, England) is working as an individual this weekend, turning in a 162 Friday on the strength of an 85 and 77, respectively, placing him in a tie for 24th. Liam Chambers (Helensburgh, Scotland) is also playing as an individual, sitting tied for 37th in the field after firing rounds of 84 and 81.
Daniel Kovari (Budapest, Hungary) is the final individual for Loritz Clark’s Wildcats this weekend, carding rounds of 83 and 87, giving him a total of 170, and sitting in a tie for 47th.
The final golfer for the Maroon and Gold is Alvaro Ramirez (Bogota, Colombia), playing in just his second-ever event for the Wildcats. He finished Friday’s rounds with a scorecard of 84 and 90, totaling 174, and placing him 55th.
As a team, Bethune-Cookman (318-305=623, +47) sits in third place after a tremendous second round effort – led by Fricker and O’Brien with low strokes. Florida Atlantic (304-302=606, +30), the 2013 Gary Freeman Invitational champions, sit atop the team standings, followed closely by Army (301-307=608, +32).
FAU’s Cody Christensen and Marcus Plunkett of Army are tied atop the individual field, each carrying a 146 total scorecard into Saturday’s championship round.
The final round is scheduled to begin Saturday at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start. However, inclement weather is expected to hit the Volusia County area early in the morning hours. Stay tuned to BCUathletics.com and the official B-CU Golf Twitter page for up-to-date information on possible delays and adjusted start times.