University of Houston
Royal Oaks Intercollegiate
Golfer James Ross Fires Record-Setting Second Round
10/31/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Oct. 31, 2011
| First-Day Results | Live Scoring | ROI Tournament Central
DALLAS - University of Houston junior James Ross posted eight birdies on the way to a career-low 64 during the second round of the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate to finish the first day of competition in a tie for second place.
The Edinburgh, Scotland, was brilliant in his second round of the day, enduring only one bogey. He posted four birdies on the front nine and added four more birdies on the back nine - including two of the last three holes - to best the Cougars' previous low round by two strokes.
"James had a great putting round and really capitalized on some opportunities. He hit so many quality shots and was in position and converted so well during that second round," said third-year head coach Jonathan Dismuke. "It was really fun to watch."
The 64 tied as the third-lowest score in the storied history of the Cougar Golf program and was the lowest mark since Andy Sanders posted a 64 in the final round of the Jerry Pate National on Oct. 19, 1999.
It also ranked as the lowest second-round score in school history, besting the previous low of 65, done four times and most recently by John Wine during the second round of The Maxwell on May 10, 2003.
Starting his morning round on the back nine, Ross appeared to run into trouble after posting a double-bogey 6 on the 403-yard, par-4 17th hole. After talking with Dismuke, Ross slipped into a groove with 12 birdies and only three bogeys during the final 28 holes of the day.
"James got off to a solid start this morning. He didn't go through his routine on 17 and hit the ball out of bounds. We talked about taking the time to go through his routine," Dismuke said. "He committed to that and played some of the most spectacular golf a Cougar has played in a long time."
Ross' score tied the 18-hole tournament record set by SMU's James Kwon in 2009 during the second round.
Starting the second round in a tie for 25th place after posting an even-par opening round, Ross finished the first day in a tie for second with Lamar's M.J. Daffue. Texas A&M's Jordan Russell was the first-day individual leader with a 9-under-par 133.
As a team, the Cougars bettered their first-round score by 11 strokes and stood in eighth place at 573.
"We were really tight out there today. With the exception of James, we didn't have a great ball-striking round, and some of our guys struggled," Dismuke said. "We gave away a few too many shots. We were trying a little too hard. When we have struggled in the past, we try to do a little too much. We will adjust some things tonight and hopefully come out Tuesday and post a low score."
Sophomore Curtis Reed stood in a tie for 43rd at 145, while sophomore Bryn Flanagan was tied for 45th at 146. Freshman Roman Robledo was tied for 50th at 147, and sophomore Jesse Droemer was tied for 71st at 152.
No. 29 Texas A&M grabbed the first-day team lead with a score of 551, seven strokes ahead of No. 27 Duke. Augusta State (560), No. 33 Oklahoma (561), No. 28 Baylor (567), No. 32 Tulsa (568) and No. 14 New Mexico (570) rounded out the top-seven team leaders.
UP NEXT
The Royal Oaks Intercollegiate is the Cougars' fourth and final tournament of the fall season. After a break from competitive action, Houston opens its 2012 spring season on Feb. 13-14 when it takes part at the UTSA Oak Hills Invitational in San Antonio, Texas.
Players Mentioned
