Rudy Sautron shined in his Nebraska debut, firing rounds of 69 (-2) and 70 (-1) to lead the Husker men’s golf team at the Gopher Invitational in Independence, Minn., on Sunday.
Sautron, a sophomore from Reunion Island, France, closed the tournament’s first 36 holes in a three-way tie for first at 139 (-3) heading into Monday’s final round on the par-71, 7,586-yard layout of the Windsong Farm Golf Club. Sautron’s opening round featured a 33 (-3) on the back nine, including an eagle on the par-five 18th hole. He recorded birdies on No. 2, No. 3, No. 17 and No. 18 in the second round to overcome three bogeys.
Sautron, who joined the Huskers after spending his freshman season at NCAA Division II Cameron University in Oklahoma, enters the final round tied with Iowa’s Noah Kent and Minnesota’s Cormac Sharpe. The Big Ten trio owns a slim one-shot lead over West Virginia’s Kaleb Wilson, Iowa State’s Luke Gutschewski and Noah Kumar from Rutgers, who are all tied for fourth at 140 (-2).
Sautron’s opening performance helped the Huskers move to the final round in fourth place at 576 (+8). The Big Red posted an even-par 284 in the second round after opening with a 292. Iowa sits atop the team standings at 571 (+3), clinging to a one-shot lead over the hosts from Minnesota at 572 (+4). Kent State is third at 575 (+7) just one stroke in front of the Huskers.
Senior Hamish Murray, redshirt sophomore Evan McDermott and freshman James Ackerman are all hunting top-25 individual finishes for the Huskers. Murray put up solid rounds of 72 and 73 to close the day at 145 (+3) in a tie for 21st. McDermott contributed an opening-round 75, before carding an even-par 71 in the second round to end the day in a tie for 25th at 146 (+5). Ackerman joined McDermott in a tie for 25th after 36 holes by putting together a second-round 70 (-1) after starting the tournament with a 76 (+5).
Reed Malleck also contributed a strong second round with an even-par 71, after opening with a 79. The graduate student from York, Neb., moves to Monday’s final round in a tie for 42nd at 150 (+8).
Action at the Gopher Invitational concludes with Monday’s final round beginning with tee times off No. 1 and No. 10 at 7:15 a.m. (CT).
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