Duke Grabs Three-Shot Lead at Inverness

Monday, September 19

Toledo, Ohio

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Duke University

Day One at Inverness Intercollegiate

Duke Tied for 11th at Nike Golf Collegiate

Duke Grabs Three-Shot Lead at Inverness

9/19/2016 9:08:00 PM | Men's Golf

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By: Duke Sports Information

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Duke men's golf team had four of its five lineup players shoot in red numbers on Monday as it stormed to a three-shot lead through 36 holes at the Inverness Intercollegiate.

The Blue Devils shot 558 (-10) as a group Monday at the par-71 Inverness Club, establishing a three-stroke lead over Auburn at the 36-hole mark. Duke will enter play on Tuesday in search of its 16th tournament title under the guidance of head coach Jamie Green.

“I'm really happy for the guys and proud of them for their play today,” Green said. “The guys showed terrific discipline and good, aggressive shot selection at the right target. There were some birdies to be had out there, but the hole locations were on some pretty strong slopes so it required discipline and intelligence from tee to green. Another thing the guys did exceptionally well today was win the battle of mental toughness and resilience. We were fantastic in that regard over the course of a 10-hour day.”

Senior Matt Oshrine was Duke's low man on Monday, firing rounds of 67 (-4) and 70 (-1) to finish the day in second place with a total of 137 (-5). Oshrine rolled in a dozen birdies and an eagle on Monday to pace four Duke players who shot below par at Inverness Club.

“I made a really good up-and-down to start the day and hit some really good wedge shots,” Oshrine said. “I knew I was swinging it well and stuck to my game plan. I also putted really well today. The greens are soft right now, and they're pretty receptive. I grew up on bent greens and I knew that if I gave myself as many looks as possible, I could get hot with the putter.”

The Baltimore native is just one shot off the pace set the by Auburn's Matt Gilchrest with one round still to be contested.

“There's nothing better than being in the final group,” Oshrine said. “Whether it's been junior golf or college golf, I love being near the lead. It gets the juices flowing, and you're able to go out and play golf and see what happens. It's going to be great for our team tomorrow with four guys who have a chance to win the tournament.”

“Matt really struck the ball well today and he's an excellent putter,” Green said. “When you put the ball in position like he did today and you knock on the door that many times, you're going to make some birdies. It was a fun day for Matt, and it was fun to watch him go about it. There's not a lot of high or low with Matt, and that's a good thing in our game. He was calm and collected, and he enjoyed the day. I know he's looking forward to tomorrow.”

Senior Max Greyserman finished the day in fourth place after carding rounds of 68 (-3) and 71 (E) for a total of 139 (-3). After posting seven birdies to combat four bogeys in the morning round, Greyserman was steady in the afternoon with one birdie, one bogey and 16 pars.

“On a different day, there were times when Max could've gotten frustrated but that didn't happen today,” Green said. “He handled adversity extremely well and hit the ball very well to put himself in excellent positions. One or two putts here or there are the difference between where Max stands and the lead, and I know he's eager to compete tomorrow.”

Junior Jake Shuman and sophomore Alex Smalley both finished Monday's competition as part of a group of five players tied for ninth place with totals of 141 (-1). Shuman was one-under with a round of 71 in the morning before playing par golf in the afternoon, while Smalley rebounded from a one-over 72 in the morning with a two-under 69 in the second round.

“Alex showed quite a bit of poise and maturity today,” Green said. “To walk away from the first round a shot over par might have bothered him in previous tournaments. His maturity and focus really showed through today and he didn't get rattled.”

“Jake hit a lot of quality golf shots today, too,” Green said. “He was patient to the very end and kept knocking on the door. He struck the ball well enough to put himself right there in the hunt for the lead and that experience today will be good for our team.”

Junior Adam Wood rounded out the Duke lineup in a tie for 22nd place on Monday with a total of 145 (+3).

Duke freshman Chandler Eaton wrapped up play on Monday in a tie for 19th place as an individual. Eaton got off to a strong start with a 69 (-2) in the morning before finishing the day with a total of 144 (+2). Junior Ben Silverman, also competing as an individual, finished Monday's play in a tie for 43rd with a total of 151 (+9).

“Inverness Club has a great layout for an event like this,” Green said. “Holes are mostly back-to-back, so guys can see each other play. That definitely contributed to the swell of good play by our guys today. A 36-hole day is a marathon and when you can see that you have the support of your teammates and you can support them in return, it really helps the cause.”

The final round of the Inverness Intercollegiate will get under way at 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Third-round play will begin with tee times after Monday's shotgun start. Live scoring for the Inverness Intercollegiate will be available via BirdieFire.

The Duke men's golf program also has a contingent of players in Charlotte competing in the Queens Invitational. The four-man group shot a collective 290 on Monday at The Club at Irish Creek to finish the day in third place.

Junior Alexander Matlari shot even-par 71 to finish the day in a tie for fourth place, while sophomore Shrish Dwivedi carded a one-over 72 to wrap up the day in a tie for sixth. Senior Andrew Bieber is tied for 15th with a total of 74 (+3) and freshman Steven DiLisio is tied for 25th with a total of 76 (+5).

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