Brandt Charges on Sunday as Stags Pace Field at SCIAC #2
PASADENA, Calif. – The No. 11 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's golf team claimed the second leg of SCIAC play with a two-day total of 585 (+9) at the SCIAC #2 at Brookside Golf Club this weekend. After shooting a seven-over, 79 on Saturday, Johnny Brandt (CMC) turned in the best round in the field with a six-under, 66 on Sunday to finish one-shot behind the leader with a two-day total of 145 (+1).
In the team standings, the Stags held a two-stroke lead heading into Sunday's play. Despite shooting five shots higher than they did on Saturday, the Stags increased their lead when it was all said and done and won the tournament by eight strokes over second-place La Verne. CMS finished the weekend with 585 (+9) strokes while La Verne ended with a two-day total of 593 (+17).
Day Two Update - Stags Win (290-295—585, +9)
Johnny Brandt led the charge for the Stags with a round of six-under, 66 on Sunday. Brandt's 66 was the only round in the 48-player field that was under par and was six shots better than the next best round turned in by Pomona-Pitzer's Conor Rooney (72, E).
La Verne's Pitiluk Phanomchai shot one-over on Sunday to finish the Tournament at even par to win the individual title.
Matt Shuman (CMC) also turned in a quality round on Sunday, shooting a one-over, 73 after a 77 (+5) on Saturday. Shuman's two-day total placed him in a tie for seventh at six-over, one shot behind his teammate, Austin Long (CMC). Long finished the tournament with a six-over, 78 on Sunday after carding a one-under, 71 in Saturday's round. He finished alone in sixth at five-over on the weekend.
Joining Brandt, Shuman, and Long in the top ten was freshman Ken Kong (CMC). Like Long, Kong shot a six-over, 78 on Sunday to finish in a four-way tie for ninth at seven-over.
Alex Wrenn (CMC) carded an 82 (+10) on Saturday and finished in a tie for 13th place at nine-over on the weekend. Jonathan Shaw (CMC) rounded out the Stags' effort on the weekend with a 79 (+7) on Sunday. He finished in a five-way tie in 21st place at 10-over.
With four of the seven total rounds of SCIAC play completed, the Stags sit on top of the conference standing heading into the SCIAC Championships that begin on Apr. 22. CMS (1165 strokes) holds an eight-shot lead over La Verne (1173). The Stags and Leopards are followed by Redlands (1182) and Cal Lutheran (1189) at the top of the standings. The winner of the SCIAC will be determined by the cumulative score from all seven rounds of conference play. Starting on Apr. 22, the SCIAC Championships will span three days at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills, Calif.
Day One Update - Stags in First (290, +2)
The Stags sit on top of the leaderboard after shooting a team score of 290 (+2) in the opening round of the SCIAC #2 Tournament. The team leaderboard is crowded up top, with CMS leading by just two strokes over La Verne (292) after the first day. Cal Lutheran (294) and Redlands (297) are also less than 10 strokes off the lead sitting in third and fourth, respectively.
In the individual standings, Austin Long and Alex Wrenn are tied for the lead with La Verne's Hisham Hussein and Pitiluk Phanomchai. All four golfers carded rounds of one-under, 71 on Saturday.
Ken Kong and Jonathan Shaw finished just two strokes apart in Saturday's round finishing with the third and fourth lowest rounds for CMS on the day. Kong carded a one-over, 73 and sits in a tie for sixth place overall while Shaw carded a three-over, 75 and is tied for 16th.
Matt Shuman and Johnny Brandt also carded rounds in the 70s with rounds of 77 (+5) and 79 (+7), respectively. After Day One, Shuman is tied for 25th and Brandt is in a tie for 33rd.
The Stags will wrap up the tournament with another round at Brookside on the No. 1 course tomorrow morning.