SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The Gonzaga University men's golf team heads into the final round of the Wyoming Cowboy Classic in fifth place and five strokes behind leader 11th ranked University of Oklahoma. Sophomore Sean Walsh also heads into the final 18-holes, set for Tuesday at Talking Stick Golf Club, as the individual leader, holding a two-stroke lead.
"We got ourselves in a good position going into the final round," explained Gonzaga head coach Robert Gray. "To be five shots back of the 11th ranked team in the country is a huge step forward for our program. And not playing anywhere near our best, it's a great example of what this team is capable of accomplishing."
The Bulldogs shot an impressive 36-hole 565 (279-286) Monday to stand in fifth place. Oklahoma is atop the leader board at 560 (275-285), while both BYU and the University of Colorado are tied for second at 561.
"We go off to a slow start our first round but bounced back finishing three behind James' [Fahy] 67 and Sean's [Walsh] 68," said Gray. "We go off to another slow start the second round and it looked like we were starting to wilt a bit in the heat but they refocused the final nine holes and finished those holes 1-under after being plus-7 after the first nine. I'm very proud of them for fighting through the slow start and finishing strong. That was huge!"
Walsh closed out Monday's opening two rounds shooting a 133; with a 68 over the first 18-holes and a school-record low 65 the final 18. The Keller, Texas native not along set a program record for the lowest 18-hole score of 65 but his 36-hole score of 133 also is a program-best.
"Sean put together two great rounds today and had a huge impact on our team score; especially his second round of 65," explained Gray. "That went a long way in keeping us in the hunt to defend the title. He's being working hard on his game and it's starting to pay off."
Walsh holds a 2-stroke lead over UC Davis' Josh Granger who shot a 36-hole score of 135 (68-67).
Junior James Fahy ended the day shooting a 36-hole 139 with a 67 and 72 and is tied for 11th. His opening round 67 is the third-best 18-hole total in program history.
"James put together the third best 18-hole total with his 67," said Gray. "Combined with Sean's 69, that really helped get us off to a good start in the first round. He didn't make as many putts as he would've liked today but he's got himself in tied for 11th and can finish in the Top 5 with a sold round tomorrow. It's very bunched up so every shot will be crucial."
Rounding out the team scoring for Gonzaga was senior Peter Gullickson who shot a 36-hole 144 (71-73) and junior Erik Krzyzanowski with an opening day 149 (73-76).
"Peter didn't score as low as he'd have liked but he hung in there today and that was huge," Gray stated. "He's going to put it all together and post a low round, very soon.
"Erik just wasn't able to get any birdies the first round and didn't finish his second round the way he usually does. He's hitting it well enough to post a low score; he just needs the putts to fall."
Gray believes if his squad sticks to their game plan they have a chance to win the tournament for the second-consecutive year.
"For tomorrow, we have to stick to our game plan and keep the ball in the fairway by picking good lines. That will be especially important if the wind picks up. If we can post a low score, maybe we can come out on top."
The final round of 18-holes is set for Tuesday with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. PT.