Texas Tech University Athletics
Smith Maintains Top 10 Position
April 14, 2007 | Men's Golf
April 14, 2007
LUBBOCK, Texas - Freshman Matt Smith didn't quite match his opening-round 67, but turned in an even-par 72 in the second round of the ASU Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., on Saturday to remain among the top 10 in a seventh-place tie.
Smith, who remains at five-under in the three-round event, birdied three times and followed each with a bogey on the subsequent hole, including No. 18. He trails tournament leader Derek Sipe of Oregon by eight strokes and is one stroke out of fifth place.
After finding themselves only two shots off the lead in third place after day one, the 34th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders plummeted to ninth with a four-over 292 in the second round. The effort was 13 shots higher than day one, but not enough to take the team out of the top 10. Tech is still five-under par for the tournament, trailing a spot among the top five by seven strokes.
Taking a major hit in the standings, sophomore Garrett Merrell dropped from eighth to a 45th-place tie, after shooting a 77 in the second round. Merrell joined Smith among the top 10 after day one with a 69.
The nation's 55th-ranked golfer, Red Raider senior Oscar Floren, followed an even-par first round with a one-over 73 today and sits in a 30th-place tie. Freshman Will Griffin improved two strokes, shooting even par and closing the day in a tie for 45th. Junior Santiago Rivas carded a 75, three strokes off of his opening-round 72, and is in a 52nd-place tie.
Unranked Oregon leads the event by five strokes over No. 10 Texas A&M. No. 4 Southern Cal is third, followed by No. 27 Arizona and No. 18 Arizona State, both tied in fourth place.
The Red Raiders resume play against one of the nation's toughest fields Sunday with the third and final round. Today's complete results and live scoring updates from the third round are available throughout the tournament at www.golfstat.com.
