LAKE CITY, Minn. - Upper Iowa men's golf finished eighth out of 12 teams at the Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) Jewel Invitational with a score of 613 (+37). Joseph Grau shot back-to-back rounds of 74 (+2) to tie for 16th and lead the team at 148 (+4) at the Jewel Golf Club.
That marks the best two-round score of Grau's career with the Peacocks, and was five strokes better than his total at last year's Jewel Invitational. Grau tied for the 10th-most pars at the tournament with 22, while adding a team-high five birdies. The senior posted back-to-back birdies on holes 11 and 12 on Monday, and had birdies on holes six and eight on Tuesday.
Dylan Burns doubled those rounds at 76 (+4) and 76 (+4) for a total of 152 (+8). He shot two-under-par on the front nine on Tuesday, and tied Grau for the team-lead in pars with 22. Burns finished tied for 36th.
Jaxx Johnson also tied for the team-lead in pars with 22, finishing tied for 46th with a score of 155 (+11). Johnson shot 79 (+7) on Tuesday after scoring 76 (+4) on Monday. His second round was highlighted by back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17.
Bryce Yearian was the third Peacock to shoot 76 (+4) on Monday, which was followed by an 82 (+10) on Tuesday. His total of 158 (+14) tied for 52nd. Yearian totaled four birdies, all on the front nine.
The final Peacock to shoot 76 (+4) in the first round was Dawson Fuelling. The freshman scored 88 (+16) on Tuesday for a total of 164 (+20). He totaled two birdies as well. Cale Kleppe competed as an individual with a total of 168 (+24). He had a birdie in the first hole of the day in round two.
UIU did well as a team on par threes, tying for the third best score at 10-over-par. The Peacocks totaled 102 pars as a team, tying for the third-most as well.
Minot State (N.D.) finished five strokes ahead of the Peacocks in seventh place. St. Cloud State (Minn.) was one stroke behind Upper Iowa in ninth.
Winona State (Minn.) won the tournament by six strokes, shooting 577 (+1) as a team. The Warriors scored a 287 (-1) in the first round. Sioux Falls (S.D.) finished second at 583 (+7) after a 284 (-4) scorecard on Tuesday. Bemidji State (Minn.) placed third at 585 (+9).
Concordia-St. Paul's Brennan Weckwerth won the tournament with a score of 140 (-4) after a 68 (-4) in round one. This marks back-to-back wins for Weckworth after taking first place at last week's Maverick Fall Brawl. Winona State's Logan Chouinard and Luke Maas tied for second at 141 (-3).
The Peacock men have a week off before heading to the Lewis (Ill.) Flyers Fall Intercollegiate on Oct. 5-6. The tournament takes place at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club outside of Chicago in Lemont, Illinois.
