Cedar Rapids, Iowa----- Turning in the second best team score of the final 18 holes, San Jose State University finished third in the season-opening Golfweek Conference Challenge men's tournament.
The Spartans were the only team to post team scores under 290 in each of the last two rounds of the 54-hole tournament on the par 72, 7,086-yard Cedar Rapids Country Club course. After starting the tournament in an 11th place tie, San Jose State moved up six places to a fifth place tie after 36 holes and two more spots in the final round with team scores of two-under 286 and one-over par 289.
The Spartans' 54-hole total of 869 was one behind Campbell's 868. Ball State led from start to finish and posted a total of 853.
"The (golf) course was in great shape. It is a phenomenal golf course. We've been around enough to know what to do and we did well with the game plan. There were a couple of rookies (Shetler, Carl Corpus and R.J. Cesario) and a couple of new guys who had not seen the course before (Nate Jetter and Parker Sisk)," said San Jose State men's golf head coach John Kennaday. "It was getting into the game plan and sticking to it."
In the team scoring format of four scores counting in the five-player lineup, freshman Caleb Shetler was San Jose State's top finisher tying for sixth place with a four-under 212 after his second consecutive two-under par 70. Shetler took advantage of the course's three par-5's going six under for the tournament.
Bryce Wortman notched his best finish as a Spartan tying for 13th place at one-over par 217. Only 12 golfers in the 86-player field completed 54 holes under par. Parker Sisk closed with a final round one-under par 71, his first under-par round at the major college level to tie for 21st at 219. Nate Jetter tied for 44th at 223 and Sean Yu tied for 50th at 225.
Freshman Carl Corpus was the top finisher among the players not competing in the team format. In his major college debut, Corpus tied for 10th place at two-under par 214. He had 12 birdies in the tournament to lead all Spartan players. R.J. Cesario, who also played as a San Jose State individual entry, tied for 76th at 229.
"I'm very, very proud (of Shetler and Corpus' finishes). I told Carl to make me look like an idiot (for not including him in the lineup). Apparently, he is an opportunist. They fought hard. I was very impressed with the backbone, because it was tough today," the Spartans coach said about the performance of his two first-time freshmen especially on the day when the course played its toughest of the three rounds.
David Perkins of Illinois State took home medalist honors with a 10-under par 206. Joey Raneri of Ball State and Casey Leebrick of Sacramento State tied for second at 209.
The Spartans return to action Monday, September 30, for the first of two days and 54 holes at the Nick Watney Fresno Invitational in Madera, Calif.
San Jose State University men's golf
Golfweek Conference Challenge
Cedar Rapids Country Club, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Par 72, 7,086 yards
Final 54-hole results
| Team scores |
|
| 1. Ball State |
853 |
| 2. Campbell |
868 |
| 3. San José State |
869 |
| 4. Iowa |
871 |
| Illinois State |
871 |
| Arkansas State |
871 |
| 7. Furman |
875 |
| Kansas City |
875 |
| 9. Dayton |
876 |
| 10. Jacksonville State |
878 |
| 11. Sacramento State |
879 |
| 12. Oakland |
887 |
| 13. LMU |
889 |
| Drexel |
889 |
| 15. Marshall |
894 |
| 16. Kansas State |
900 |
| Leading individuals |
|
| 1. David Perkins, Illinois State |
68-67-71-206 |
| 2. Joey Raneri, Ball State |
68-71-70-209 |
| Casey Leebrick, Sacramento State |
72-70-67-209 |
| 4. Pontus Nyholm, Campbell |
68-74-68-210 |
| 5. Connor Schmidt, Drexel |
72-73-66-211 |
| San Jose State scores |
|
| 6. Caleb Shetler |
72-70-70-212 |
| 13. Bryce Wortman |
70-71-76-217 |
| 21. Parker Sisk |
76-72-71-219 |
| 44. Nate Jetter |
77-73-73-223 |
| 50. Sean Yu |
76-74-75-225 |
| San Jose State individuals |
|
| 10. Carl Corpus |
73-69-72-214 |
| 76. R.J. Cesario |
79-75-75-229 |
