Michigan State University
The Topy Cup
Men's Golf Leaps Into Fifth Place at Topy Cup
9/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 7, 2005
FUKUSHIMA, Japan - Sophomore Ryan Brehm (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) fired a 2-under-par 70 to lead the Michigan State men's golf team to fifth place and a second-round 295, the day's second-best team score. The Spartans improved their first-round finish by five places and at 303-295 - 598, sit 16 shots behind leaders Georgia State and Tohoku Fukushi of Japan entering the final round at the 7,127-yard Tanagura Country Club.
The 11-team field is composed of four American schools - Georgia State, South Carolina, Pepperdine, and Michigan State - and seven Japanese schools. In the tournament's 23-year history, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State are the only Big Ten schools to be invited to the event.
Brehm's 70 tied for the round's lowest score and with a 79-70 - 149 total, the 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year sits in a tie for 15th after two rounds. Junior Matt Harmon (Grand Rapids, Mich.) also sits in the top 20 after compiling a 75-73 - 148 total after two rounds, good for a 13th-place tie.
Sophomore Brandon Cigna (Novi, Mich.) sits in a tie for 18th with a 74-76 - 150 total, while sophomore Nathan Gunthorpe (Ovid, Mich.) also carded a second-round 76, putting him in a tie for 21st at 75-76 - 151. Junior Mitch Pierce (Fenton, Mich.) shot an 81 in the second round for a 84-81 - 165 total, completing the Spartan lineup.
Georgia State regressed in the second round and relinquished its seven-shot cushion, falling into a tie for first at 582 with Tohoku Fukushi. Nihon of Japan sits in third at 595, three shots ahead of MSU, while Pepperdine sits two shots ahead of the Spartans at 596 in fourth.
Though New Mexico notched a victory for the United States last season, a Japanese team has won the event 10 of the past 14 years. The final round of the 54-hole event is slated for Sept. 7.
Topy Cup (U.S. - Japan Intercollegiate Golf Championship)Tanagura Country ClubSept. 6-8, 2005
Team Standings (Through two rounds)No. Team Rd. 1 Rd. 2 TotalT1. Georgia State 281 301 582T1. Tohoku Fukushi 288 294 5823. Nihon 289 306 5954. Pepperdine 301 295 5965. Michigan State 303 295 5986. Senshu 296 303 5997. South Carolina 294 306 6008. Waseda 294 312 6069. Nagoya Commerce 302 315 61710. Kyushu Tokai 300 322 62211. Daiichi 308 324 632
Individual Standings (Through two rounds)No. Player (team) Rd. 1 Rd. 2 TotalT1. Y. Ikeda (Tohoku Fukushi) 71 71 142T1. M. Haastrup (Georgia State) 69 73 142T1. J. Sjoholm (Georgia State) 67 75 1424. E. Johansen (South Carolina) 70 73 1435. D. Baynes (Georgia State) 69 75 1446. J.J. Wood (Pepperdine) 75 70 145T7. Y. Ishikawa (Nihon) 73 73 146T7. M. Hashizume (Nihon) 73 73 146T9. S. Ohtani (Nagoya Commerce) 76 71 147T9. A. Coe (Pepperdine) 75 72 147T9. T. Yamamoto (Tohoku Fukushi) 73 74 147T9. M. Sanada (Waseda) 72 75 147
MSU Individual Standings (Through two rounds)No. Player Rd. 1 Rd. 2 TotalT13. Matt Harmon 75 73 148T15. Ryan Brehm 79 70 149T18. Brandon Cigna 74 76 150T21. Nathan Gunthorpe 75 76 151T57. Mitch Pierce 84 81 165
Players Mentioned
