Will Zalatoris (L) and Norman Xiong (R) were co-medalists at the Rod Myers Invitational
(Wake Forest and Oregon University photos)
DURHAM, NC (September 17, 2017) -
Will Zalatoris shot a final-round four-under 68 to catch
Norman Xiong and share medalist honors at the Rod Myers Invitational at Duke University Golf Club.
Both players were instrumental in
Team USA winning back the Walker Cup last weekend at Los Angeles Country Club, and their momentum continued in Durham, with each player leading their team and posting 12-under 204 totals.
As the day started, Xiong had the individual lead by three shots but Zalatoris' team Wake Forest held the team lead by six. Playing together, both players had a good front nine, with Zalatoris going birdie-birdie-eagle to get within one shot of Xiong at the turn.
A two-shot swing at the par-five 134th gave Zalatoris the lead, but he immediately gave it back on the next hole with a bogey on the 216-yard par three. Three straight pars by each player produced the final result.
Zalatoris closed with a four-under 68, while Xiong has a one-under 71.
They finished three shots ahead of the third-place finisher,
Chandler Eaton of Duke, who had three straight rounds of 69 to finish at 9-under 207.
Oregon started the day six shots behind Wake Forest, but Xiong and his teammates could only manage a two-over 290 final round which dropped them to 4th.
The tournament hosts Duke University shot the low final round, a 14-under 274, but could only pick up three of the ten shots they needed on Wake Forest, and had to settle for second at 22-under 842.
In addition to Zalatoris, Wake Forest was led by
Cameron Young who closed with a five-under 67. The Demon Deacons had four players shoot under par on Sunday, and their final-round 277 was good enough for a 29-under 835 total and a seven-shot win.
Vanderbilt (281) finished third at 18-under 846.
DAY ONE REPORT
Fresh off his victory on Team USA at the Walker Cup Will Zalatoris is 8-under and leading the way for Wake Forest as they pace the Rod Myers Invitational hosted by Duke University Golf Club.
The 11th ranked Demon Deacons are 18-under and six-strokes clear No. 9 Oregon who at 12-under is in second place, No. 2 Vanderbilt is third at 11-under, host Duke sits at 8-under in fourth while Louisville is in fifth at 7-under.
Zalatoris, a senior, has combined rounds 69-67 thus far and on Sunday he will try and track down Walker Cup teammate Norman Xiong of Oregon who leads the individual race at 11-under.
In the second round Zalatoris was 2-under through 13 holes before catching fire down the stretch with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 14-16. Overall Zalatoris birdied six-times and bogeyed once during his 5-under 67 day.
Also playing well for Wake Forest are Cameron Young (T11; -3), Paul McBride (T16; -2) and Eric Bae (T21; -1).
Norman Xiong stormed to the lead with a 7-under 65 on Saturday and he will carry a three shot lead into the final round. On Saturday Xiong, a sophomore, did bogey three-times but he was also able to card eight birdies and an eagle on the par-5 11th. His best stretch of golf came on Nos. 10-14, a stretch he played in 5-under.
Rounding out the top-five of the individual standings are Chandler Eaton of Duke in third place at 6-under while Vanderbilt's John Augenstein and Matthias Schmid of Louisville share fourth at 5-under.
ABOUT THE Rod Myers Invitational
54-hole men's college tournament hosted by Duke
University
and named after former Duke golf
coach Rod Myers. Team (best four scores out of five
players each round) and individual competitions.
Played at The Duke University Golf
Club, a Rees Jones design that has hosted a pair of
NCAA Championships (1962 and 2001) and is
consistently ranked among the top college courses
in
the country.
View Complete Tournament Information