The reasons for underwhelming performances by the ASU men’s golf team this season have hardly been shrouded in mystery.Slow starts have been an Achilles’ heel for the No. 9 Sun Devils, who have often dug holes after the first round of their tournaments that have proven too deep from which to escape.
But with the Pac-10 Championships taking place at the familiar confines of Karsten Golf Course, ASU came out of the proverbial gates strong Monday morning, shooting an 18-under 337 in the first round, which put ASU — searching for conference title number 13 — in second place, seven shots behind leader Stanford.
Monday afternoon then brought a quick turnaround for round two, and the Sun Devils kept a hold on the No. 2 slot, carding a 4-under 351 over the second 18 holes to reach the halfway point of the tournament 13 shots behind the Cardinal.
At 36-under following the first two rounds of the tournament, Stanford is on pace to break the Pac-10 record of 56-under set by ASU in 2000, also at Karsten Golf Course.
“I thought 18-under would be enough [to have the first-round lead],” ASU coach Randy Lein said. “What Stanford did was amazing.”
ASU’s No. 1 player, junior Jesper Kennegard, played up to his billing as one of the country’s top golfers during the first two rounds of the tournament.
Kennegard matched his career-low round with an 8-under 63 in the first round, leaving him in a tie for first after the opening 18.
The Sweden native notched five straight birdies during one stretch of the round (Holes 6 to 10) and turned in a bogey-free card.
“Jesper hit the ball well and he putted the ball exceptionally well,” Lein said. “When you have that combination, you’re going to be near the top.”
Kennegard began to pull away from the field in Round 2, as he notched a 5-under 66 to head into the second half of the tournament with a three-shot lead over Stanford’s Joseph Bramlett.
The format for the Pac-10 Championships counts the low five scores of a six-man lineup, and each score counted for the Sun Devils after the first two rounds was under par, with five golfers in the top 30.
Senior Knut Borsheim (69-70) and junior Scott Pinckney (68-71) finished the day at 3-under to tie for 20th. Senior Braxton Marquez (68-72) finished at 2-under to tie for 25th and junior James Byrne (69-72) rounded out the counting scores with a 1-under, good enough for a 29th-place tie.
ASU’s No. 6 golfer, sophomore Spencer Fletcher, sits in 57th at 8-over (77-73).
Lein contributed the slew of low scores on the first day to greens that “were absolutely perfect. They were the best I’ve ever seen.”
Lein also said the rough, which had been cut for two home tournaments this season (one each for the men and women), hasn’t had time to grow back, making mistakes off the tee box less costly.
The third round of the tournament tees of Tuesday, with the fourth and final round to be played Wednesday morning.
Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu
