Sooners tied at top of Gopher Invitational, Hale rolls in 13 birdies

NORMAN – The No. 3 Oklahoma men’s golf team is tied for first place after two rounds at the Gopher Invitational. The two-day, 54-hole event is taking place at the par-71, 7,368-yard Windsong Farm Golf Club in Independence, Minn.

The Sooners posted an even-par 284 during Sunday’s morning round before carding a 285 (+1) in the afternoon to finish with a 36-hole total of 569 (+1). OU is tied for first place with Texas after two rounds. Iowa holds sole possession of third place with a two-round 574 (+6), while Purdue and Michigan State are tied for fourth place at 576 (+8).

Senior Blaine Hale paced the Sooners on Sunday, recording a 36-hole 137 (-5) to claim second place after two rounds. After carding a 68 (-3) in the morning session, Hale followed up with a 69 (-2) during the afternoon round.

The senior recorded 13 birdies during Sunday’s 36 holes, the most of any player in the tournament. Hale trails Arkansas’ William Buhl on the individual leaderboard by one shot heading into Monday’s final round.

Junior Garett Reband is tied for 12th place with an overall 143 (+1). After shooting a 72 (+1) to open the day, Reband finished the day with an even-par 71 in the second.

Junior Riley Casey was consistent during Sunday’s 36 holes, wrapping up the day with a 144 (+2) through 36 holes. Casey shot 72 (+1) in each round.

Senior Brad Dalke and freshman Logan McAllister are tied for 32nd place after two rounds at 147 (+5). In the first two rounds, Dalke shot a 73 (+2) and a 74 (+3), respectively. After recording a 75 (+4) in the first round, McAllister bounced back with a 72 (+1) in Sunday’s afternoon session.

The final round of the Gopher Invitational is scheduled for Monday morning and the Sooners will tee off at 8:55 a.m. CT. OU will be paired with Texas and Iowa for the final round.

Live scoring will be available on Golfstat.com<http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=16478