Duke Tied For Fifth After Opening Round Of Carpet Capital Collegiate

Friday, September 15

Dalton, Ga.

All Day

Duke University

Day One

Duke Men?s Golf Team To Compete In Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate

Duke Tied For Fifth After Opening Round Of Carpet Capital Collegiate

9/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf

By: Duke Sports Information

ROCKY FACE, GA ? The Duke men's golf team, ranked 12th in the Golfweek preseason poll, opened the fall season with a one-over 289 in the Carpet Capital Collegiate on Friday. The Blue Devils, tied for fifth overall, where led by junior Michael Schachner (-3, 69) and sophomore Clark Klaasen (-2, 70) at The Farm Golf Club which is playing as a 7,002-yard, par-72 course for the tournament.

Alabama holds the first round lead after firing a -12 276. Clemson is two shots back at 10-under (278) with North Carolina State third at three-under and Georgia State fourth overall at two-under. Duke, Augusta State, Wake Forest and host Georgia Tech are all tied for fifth at one-over (289).

Schachner is tied for ninth individually after his opening round 69. The Libertyville, Ill., native posted birdies on No. 2, No. 3 and No. 9 to shoot a three-under 33 on the front side. He added birdies on No. 12 and No. 13 to get to five-under before suffering a double-bogey on the 442-yard, par-4 14^th hole. Schachner rebounded to par the final four holes and record Duke's top score of the day.

Klaasen opened the 2006 fall campaign with back-to-back birdies. After pars on No. 3 and No. 4, he suffered his first bogey of the round. Two more pars followed before Klaasen doubled the par-3 8^th to slip to one-over. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native responded with a birdie on the par-5 9^th to make the turn at even par. Klaasen's back nine was a roller coaster ride with the sophomore failing to card a single par. He opened with a birdie on No. 10 that was followed by a bogey on No. 11. Klaasen added birdies on No. 12 and No. 13 before a bogey on No. 14 dropped him back to one-under. On the par-five 15^th hole, he collected an eagle and followed that up with a birdie on No. 16 to get to four-under. Klaasen bogeyed each of the next two holes to close the day tied for 13^th overall with a two-under 70 (36-34).

Junior Michael Quagliano also opened the tournament with back-to-back birdies. He also birdied No. 6 but a bogey on No. 4 and a double on No. 8 put him at even-par (36) at the turn. Quagliano got off to a strong start on the back nine with birdies on No. 12 and No. 13 but bogeys on No. 14 and No. 18 left him at even-par (72) for the day. He sits alone in 29^th individually.

Senior Jake Grodzinsky and sophomore Andrew Giuliani closed the opening round tied for 75^th with six-over 78s. Grodzinsky, who is coming off a hand injury suffered in the summer, birdied the opening hole but suffered four bogeys on the frontside. He also birdied No. 12 but a double on No. 11 and bogeys on No. 16 and No. 18 left him at six-over. Giuliani, making his first appearance in the Duke lineup, got off to a terrible start with a four-over nine on the second hole. He also doubled No. 3 and bogeyed No. 4 and No. 9 to shoot an eight-over 44 on the frontside. The sophomore settled down nicely after the turn to shoot a two-under 34 with birdies on No. 11 and No. 15 and an eagle on the par-5 12^th hole.

Darren Blair of N.C. State holds the individual lead with a seven-under 65. Clemson's Vince Hatfield is one shot off the pace while Jake Younan-Wise (Texas Tech) is two shots back. Five players are tied for fourth at four-under while Schachner is in a group of four that is four shots off the pace at three-under. Klaasen and five others are five shots back at two-under.

Second round action begins on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Duke will begin teeing off on No. 1 at 8:30 a.m. and will be paired Georgia Tech and Tennessee.