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Friday, June 1
Williamsburg, Va.
All Day
Duke University
at
Day Three
Schachner Fires NCAA Championship Record 60 As Blue Devils Move Into Tie For 10th
6/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. ? Junior Michael Schachner fired an amazing 10-under 60 on Friday to propel Duke into a 10th place tie through three rounds at the NCAA Championships. As a team, the Blue Devils shot a three-under 277 to climb nine spots in the standings. Duke enters Saturday's final round of action at nine-over 849.
"Michael [Schachner] really carried us today. He delivered a tremendous individual performance at a time when our team needed it," said interim head coach Brad Sparling. "Our other guys really battled today and hit some key shots at important times. I am proud of the way this team has battled back after struggling in the opening round. We are looking forward to getting out on the course tomorrow and continuing our climb up the leaderboard."
Schachner's round of 60 set an NCAA Championship record and matched the course record set by Daniel Summerhays at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club Gold Course at the NCAA Preview on Oct. 4, 2006. The round also tied an NCAA record as Schachner joins Summerhays, Brock Mackenzie of Washington (-12), Bryce Molder of Georgia Tech (-12) and Paul Casey of Arizona State (-10) as the only student-athletes who have shot a round of 60.
"I knew we had to shoot a good round as a team and I just wanted to go out there and play well," said Schachner. "Once I got to six-under, I felt like the team was in good shape. From that point on the putts kept falling and I was hitting good approach shot. Shooting a 60 in the NCAA Championships is special and it felt great especially after I struggled in the opening round."
Schachner opened third round action with a par on No. 1 before starting a string of 11 birdies over the next 13 holes. Following a birdie on the par-3 second hole, he parred No. 3 for his final par on the front nine. The Libertyville, Il., native birdied the next five holes to close the front side with a seven-under 28. His birdie string stopped on No. 10 when his birdie putt from 20-feet away hit the center of the cup and popped out. He tapped in for par to remain at seven-under.
He rebounded and started another birdie run on No. 11 when he sank an six-foot putt to get to eight-under. His tee shot on the par 3 12th found the center of the green and he calmed drained a 30-foot putt with at least three feet of right to left break. Schachner moved to 10-under on the next hole when he canned an eight-foot putt off a slight ridge in the green.
Schachner missed his second fairway of the day when his drive on No. 14 found a bunker along the right side of the fairway. With a good lie, he found the center of the green from 185 yards out and ran home a 35-foot birdie putt to move to 11-under. He missed the fairway again on No. 15 and after a play up to the front of the green missed his first green of the day when his wedge shot skipped by the hole and just off the back side of the green. Schachner made a nice soft chip shot to within three feet but his par putt slid just over the edge of the hole for his only bogey of the day.
On the par 3 16th hole, Schachner put his tee shot on the fringe 15 feet from the cup and just missed chipping in before tapping in for par. He carded another par on No. 17 to enter the final hole with a chance to shoot 59. His tee shot on the closing hole skipped through the fairway into the right rough. Schachner responded by knocking his approach from 140 yards out 15 feet past the pin on the green. On the ensuing putt, he watching as the ball slid down a slight slope with a right to left break and just missed on the high side of hole. Schachner finished off the round with a three-footer for par and the lowest round in NCAA Championship history.
"I was pretty calm standing over my putt on 18," said Schachner. "I felt like I was going to make it. I had the read down, but I just gave it a little to much speed. It felt good."
Schachner's 60 also propelled him into a tie for 14th with a two-under 208. He entered the day tied for 120th overall after shooting 79-69 in the first two rounds. Rob Grube (Stanford), Kyle Stanley (Clemson) and Cameron Tringale (Ga. Tech) are tied for the individual lead at six-under 204.
"I really don't know were that first round came from. I have really been playing well lately. I played well in the two practice rounds, but I missed a bunch of fairways that day and you just can't do that out here because the rough is so long," said Schachner. "I just kept my head and tried to focus on the next day. I knew I had this type of play in me, I have just been waiting for it to come out."
With Schachner blistering the course, the Blue Devils also got solid play from the rest of the lineup. Senior Jake Grodzinsky shot a one-over 71, while sophomore Clark Klaasen had a two-over 72. Junior Michael Quagliano battled throughout the day en route to a four-over 74.
Grodzinsky started slow with bogeys on No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 before turning things around with birdies on No. 6 and No. 8 to make the turn at one-over. The Cornville, Ariz., native suffered a bogey on No. 11 but closed his day with six pars and a birdie on No. 15. Grodzinsky enters tomorrow's final round of action tied for 53rd at five-over (215).
Klaasen opened with seven straight pars before carding his lone birdie on the day on the par 4 eighth hole. Three more pars followed before the Grand Rapids, Mich., native had a pair of bogeys sandwiched around a par on No. 13. He also parred No. 15, No. 16 and No. 17 before dropping another stroke with a bogey on the final hole. Klaasen is also tied for 53rd with a five-over 215.
Quagliano is tied for 78th at 15-over 225 after shooting a four-over 74 on Friday. He finished the day with 13 pars, three bogeys, one double-bogey and a birdie on the par 5 15th hole. Freshman Adam Long shot an eight-over 78 in the third round and is tied for 72nd at 10-over (220). The St. Louis, Mo., native had three birdies on the day but also suffered a pair of double-bogeys and a triple.
Stanford will carry a two-shot lead into the final round of the 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships. The Cardinal has led after each round of the championship. Stanford shot five-under 275 on Friday for a three-day total of 12-under 828. Coastal Carolina carded an eight-under 272 for round 3 and sits two strokes back at 10-under 830. Charlotte and Alabama are tied for third at two-under 838. Top-seeded Georgia is fifth at even-par 840.
Live updates for the 2007 NCAA Championship can be found at www.golfstat.com, while www.Golfweek.com will provide live streaming video, daily recaps, exclusive interviews and much more from the NCAA finals. Duke begins final round play on Saturday at 8:45 a.m. The Blue Devils will be paired with South Carolina and Lamar in the closing round.
NOTES
*** Schachner's 10-under 60 bested his own school record for lowest round by three strokes. He shot an eight-under 63 at the 2005 NCAA East Regional at the Golf Club of Tennessee in 2005. His 60 also tops Duke's previous NCAA Championship low round mark by eight strokes.
*** Schachner's 10-under 60 matches the NCAA record for lowest round in relation to par. Notah Begay of Stanford shot a 10-under 62 in the 1994 NCAA Championship.
*** Schachner hit 10 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation on Friday. He also had a team-low 25 putts.
*** Duke's three-under 277 is a NCAA Championship round record, besting yesterday's score by one stroke. The Blue Devils' 54-hole mark of 849 (+9) is also a school low through three rounds of play.
*** Duke had made the final round cut at each of the last three NCAA Championships. The Blue Devils are the only ACC school to accomplish that feat
*** Schachner's 208 (-2) through 54 holes is lowest three-round total for Duke in NCAA Championship play.
*** After sitting in 29th place after the opening round, Duke has climbed 19 spots into a tie for 10th.
QUOTES
Michael Schachner
On Coach Myers
"Around hole seven or eight, after I had made a couple of birdies in a row, I starting thinking how much he would love to be out here watching today. I know he was looking down on us and probably helping me will some of those putts in. We miss him. He was such a huge person to Duke golf and a father away from home for most of us. To play well like this on this stage with him looking down on us is special and I will remember it forever."
On shooting a 60
“When I start going low like that I don't try and think where I'm at. I just keep playing. Coming in here (#18) I kind of knew if I made it I'd finish with 59.”
On standing over 15-foot putt for 59
“I was excited and I really thought I was going to make it. I'd been putting really well obviously. I had the line and just gave it a little too much speed. It hit the top edge and went by a little farther than I wanted coming back. I think if I hit it a little softer it goes in. It would have been fun. I'm not complaining.”
On No. 15 ? only bogey
“I hit a bad wedge shot. I only had 109 in and a little downwind. It's just a smooth 53 (degree wedge) basically. For some reason I just decided to hit it a little harder when I got to the top of my swing. The ball was in a tough spot but I hit a really good chip. I don't know how I missed the putt. I guess I just pulled it.”
On when he knew he was in the middle of a special round
“I was 6-under going into nine and I heard Dustin Johnson put up a 29 on the front nine yesterday. I hit a good wedge shot in there and when I made that for 28 that was kind of when I knew. I just knew it was going to be my day. Really on No. 14, that's when I really kind of started standing outside myself shaking my head.
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