Men's Golf, Men's Sports, Sports

LBSU men’s golf team tied for second after day one of the Bill Cullum Invitational

After lighting up Wood Ranch Golf Club for 32 birdies over the first two rounds Monday, the Long Beach State men’s golf team sits in a tie for second place at the Bill Cullum Invitational.

The 49ers took a liking to the 6,849 par-72 course in Simi Valley, finishing with a combined score of 9-under 568, and will look to close in on their first win of the season.

“Today was a really solid team effort which was cool to see from our guys,” first-year head coach Michael Wilson said. “A lot of them closed out their rounds well today, which makes me excited to see how it goes tomorrow.”

Junior Patrick Pockels finished the day 5-under par 139 after making 13 birdies, seven of which came in his second round 67, springing him into a tie for third out of 91 players.

“He was a little up and down in the morning, but was able to find a good pace about him and hit some really great shots in the afternoon,” Wilson said.

LBSU’s most consistent player this season, junior Joe Fryer, was steady in day one as well, posting scores of 69 and 72. Fryer sits in a tie for eighth and will also look to make a run at the top of the leaderboard.

“[Fryer] was a little disappointed today, but he’s a guy I know the team can count on to put us in a good spot,” Wilson said.

Junior Andres Gonzalez shot an even par 144, placing him tied for 23rd. Senior Nick Cantlay was 2-over 146 and is tied for 33rd, while freshman Connor Nelson posted a 7-over par 155 in his debut in the LBSU starting five.

Cal State Fullerton sophomore Derek Castillo shot the low-round of the day (7-under 65) in round two, jumping 22 spots to take the lead.

University of California Santa Barbara turned in a two-round score of 11-under 565, good for the lead heading into the final round on Tuesday.

“The wind on the course is going to be a big factor tomorrow,” Wilson said. “But I’m confident that if we can come in under par then we’re going to be up around the top.”

The third and final round is scheduled for an 8 a.m. shotgun start Tuesday. LBSU will bid for its first team win since Jan. 31, 2017 at the Folino Invitational.

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