PROVO -- Hosting the PING Cougar Classic to end its regular season schedule, the BYU men's golf team stands in a tie for first with Nevada and Colorado State after rounds of 282 and 287. All five BYU regulars are currently in the top 20.
"I thought we played pretty well this morning, and hung in there this afternoon, but it seems that's what all the teams were doing," BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank said.
Playing in breezy conditions with the temperature hovering in the 40s, the Cougar Classic is being held at the Riverside Country Club, a par 72 course stretching out over 6,950 yards.
"The weather is cold, but we play in this all the time, so we should thrive in this, Brockbank said."
The Canadian freshman duo of Greg Machtaler from Summerland, B.C. and Ron Harvey Jr. of Sussex, New Brunswick continue their sizzling first-year play. Machtaler shot 69 and 73, while Harvey shot 70 and 72 to put both in a tie for ninth.
Senior Kyle Wight shot a couple of steady rounds, by carding 73 and 70 to be tied for 14th, but he encountered trouble at the twelfth hole in the first round.
"Overall I played solid," Wight said. "The quadruple bogey I took was a freaky thing where nothing could go right. I hit it under a tree, hit it into a sandtrap, it was a nightmare."
After breaking out with a career performance at the ASU Thunderbird/SAVANE Invitational, sophomore Devin Heid continued his hot play with rounds of 71 and 73 to stand at even-par.
"I hit it pretty well today," Heid. "I three-putted four holes which hurt, but I felt good about my swing and how I was hitting it.
Heid is only playing in his third tournament of the season, and second of the spring, but he has renewed self-assurance of his game.
"Playing how I did down in Arizona definitely has helped my confidence. It has definitely made me think that I can hit with the big boys."
Senior All-American Manuel Merizalde, putting with his driver after bending his putter on the sixth hole of the second round, shot a pair of 72s to stand in a tie for 16th with Heid.
Freshman Nick Becker, competing as an individual, is the top Cougar with a two round three-under 141 to stand in a tie for seventh.
"This team has come from being a very average team to being a great team." Brockbank said. "This team has improved more than any other team I've coached. To win this tournament will be great for their confidence, and we'll have momentum going into the post-season."
The final round of the Cougar Classic will tee-off at 9 a.m. Saturday morning
Fin. School Scores
1 Brigham Young Univ. 282 287 569 -7
Colorado State Univ. 284 285 569 -7
Nevada, Univ. of 283 286 569 -7
4 Fresno State Univ. 283 287 570 -6
5 Texas El Paso, U. of 284 293 577 +1
6 Wyoming, U. of 291 292 583 +7
7 Denver, U. of 291 297 588 +12
8 Air Force 294 297 591 +15
9 Hawaii, Univ. of 283 310 593 +17
10 Utah, Univ. of 298 300 598 +22
UC-Santa Barbara 301 297 598 +22
Boise State Univ. 291 307 598 +22
13 Weber State Univ. 297 303 600 +24
14 Southern Utah Univ. 300 302 602 +26
15 Utah State Univ. 304 302 606 +30
Fin. Top 20 Players School Scores
1 Nick Watney Fresno St. 68 66 134
2 Jonathan Echols Fresno St. 67 70 137
3 Mike Haack Nevada 69 70 139
Chris Baryla UTEP 64 75 139
Tony Giarratano Denver 68 71 139
6 Martin Laird Col. St. 70 70 140
7 Ian Hagen Nevada 68 73 141
*Nick Becker BYU 68 73 141
9 Mike Urbatchka Wyoming 72 70 142
Graham DeLeat Boise St. 71 71 142
Brett Tobyne Col. St. 72 70 142
Greg Machtaler BYU 69 73 142
Ron Harvey, Jr. BYU 70 72 142
14 Kyle Wight BYU 73 70 143
Tommy Sharp Col. St. 70 73 143
16 Luke Swilor Utah 73 71 144
Manuel Merizalde BYU 72 72 144
Scott Hollenbach UTEP 74 70 144
Carlos Concha Nevada 70 74 144
Kramer Aoki Hawaii 73 71 144
John Hayes Col. St. 72 72 144
Devin Heid BYU 71 73 144
Fin. School Scores
T 1 Brigham Young Univ. 282 287 569
T 9 Greg Machtaler 69 73 142
T 9 Ron Harvey, Jr. 70 72 142
T 14 Kyle Wight 73 70 143
T 16 Manuel Merizalde 72 72 144
T 16 Devin Heid 71 73 144
T 1 Colorado State Univ. 284 285 569
6 Martin Laird 70 70 140
T 9 Brett Tobyne 72 70 142
T 14 Tommy Sharp 70 73 143
T 16 John Hayes 72 72 144
T 33 David Schultz 73 75 148
T 1 Nevada, Univ. of 283 286 569
T 3 Mike Haack 69 70 139
T 7 Ian Hagen 68 73 141
T 16 Carlos Concha 70 74 144
T 29 Sprague Kolp 76 71 147
T 33 Cullen Brasfield 76 72 148
4 Fresno State Univ. 283 287 570
1 Nick Watney 68 66 134
2 Jonathan Echols 67 70 137
T 29 Ryan Carter 73 74 147
T 50 Dustin Smith 75 77 152
70 Chad Spencer 78 77 155
5 Texas El Paso, U. of 284 293 577
T 3 Chris Baryla 64 75 139
T 16 Scott Hollenbach 74 70 144
T 24 Trent Rommann 73 73 146
T 38 Drew Hawley 73 76 149
T 50 Nathan Fritz 77 75 152
6 Wyoming, U. of 291 292 583
T 9 Mike Urbatchka 72 70 142
23 Kurt Kowaluk 70 75 145
T 24 Mike Mezei 75 71 146
T 45 Matthew Brunk 74 76 150
T 67 Jonathan Shuss 76 78 154
Fin. School Scores
7 Denver, U. of 291 297 588
T 3 Tony Giarratano 68 71 139
T 29 Erik Billinger 74 73 147
T 48 Barrett Jarosch 74 77 151
T 50 Shawn Wills 76 76 152
T 71 Tommy Hart 75 81 156
8 Air Force 294 297 591
T 24 Ben Leestma 73 73 146
T 33 Adam Wasinger 76 72 148
T 38 Brandon Daum 73 76 149
T 50 Matt Sakowitz 72 80 152
T 67 Daryl McCoy 78 76 154
9 Hawaii, Univ. of 283 310 593
T 16 Kramer Aoki 73 71 144
T 38 Jaime Matsumura 69 80 149
T 50 Norman-Ganin Asao 75 77 152
T 61 Matthew Kodama 69 84 153
T 67 Kellen-Floyd Asao 72 82 154
T 10 Utah, Univ. of 298 300 598
T 16 Luke Swilor 73 71 144
T 24 Ashdon Woods 73 73 146
T 50 Bruce Summerhays 76 76 152
T 71 Paul Winterowd 76 80 156
T 71 Nick Micek 76 80 156
T 10 UC-Santa Barbara 301 297 598
T 29 Scott Linklater 73 74 147
T 33 Nick Telliard 75 73 148
T 45 Jeff Greenfield 76 74 150
T 61 Greg Snider 77 76 153
T 74 Brian Six 80 77 157
T 10 Boise State Univ. 291 307 598
T 9 Graham DeLeat 71 71 142
T 48 Jeff Smith 74 77 151
T 50 Mike DeBoard 72 80 152
T 61 Jory Russell 74 79 153
80 Luke Sestero 78 83 161
Fin. School Scores
13 Weber State Univ. 297 303 600
T 38 Blair Bingham 71 78 149
T 50 Chet Thomas 77 75 152
T 61 Curtis Andrews 76 77 153
T 61 Zac VanLeuven 80 73 153
79 Derek Fox 73 86 159
14 Southern Utah Univ. 300 302 602
T 38 John Mosier 74 75 149
T 50 Jake Turley 74 78 152
T 50 Zach Johnson 76 76 152
T 50 Taylor Edwards 76 76 152
T 77 Robb Evans 83 75 158
15 Utah State Univ. 304 302 606
T 24 Nate Blotter 72 74 146
T 45 Kevin Mullen 75 75 150
T 61 Phil Kalivas 77 76 153
T 74 Michael Ericson 80 77 157
81 Chris Combe 82 85 167
Fin. Individuals School Scores
T 7 Nick Becker BYU 68 73 141
T 33 John Hulwick Denver 73 75 148
T 38 Jared Overton BYU 74 75 149
T 38 Christopher Graham BYU 74 75 149
T 74 Cameron Young So. Utah 76 81 157
T 77 Berg Crawford BYU 78 80 158