BYRON — Sophomore Grant Otting (Taylor Ridge, Ill./Rockridge) posted an 8-over-par 80 to pace the Carl Sandburg College men’s golf team in the first round of the Sauk Valley Invite on Wednesday at PrairieView Golf Club.
The round was the first competition for any Chargers team this season and the first for any Sandburg squad since March 12, a span of 181 days.
Sandburg finished with total of 333 and sits in third place entering Thursday’s final round at Deer Valley. Black Hawk leads the eight-team invite with a score of 316. Bryant & Stratton is second at 321. The Chargers have a three-shot lead on fourth-place Highland.
Otting’s day included a 2-over 38 on the back nine, the lowest for any Charger on either side. He’s tied for seventh place, five shots back of co-leaders Mason Polivka of Bryant & Stratton and Thomas O’Connor of Black Hawk.
Freshman Cole Hopping (Vermont, Ill./VIT) shot an 83 in his Chargers debut, and sophomores Grant Campbell (Earlville, Ill./Earlville) and Trace White (Mount Pleasant, Iowa/Mount Pleasant) each carded 85s to round out Sandburg’s score.
Freshman Calvin Peterson (Williamsfield, Ill./Williamsfield) finished with an 88 for the Chargers. Sophomore Cooper Beck (Petersburg, Ill./PORTA), playing as an individual, shot an 82 for Sandburg.
The tournament concludes with the second round at 9 a.m. Thursday at Deer Valley Golf Course in Deer Grove.
SAUK VALLEY INVITE
First Round
At PrairieView, par 72
Team Standings
1. Black Hawk 316
2. Bryant & Stratton 321
3. Carl Sandburg 333
4. Highland 336
5. Illinois Valley 340
6. Sauk Valley 346
7. Kishwaukee 353
8. DuPage 377
Top 10 Individuals
T1. Mason Polivka (Bryant & Stratton) 75
T1. Thomas O’Connor (Kishwaukee) 75
3. Gabe Beardsley (Black Hawk) 76
4. Ian Roach (Illinois Valley) 77
T5. Ethan Earl (Black Hawk) 78
T5. Jake Rude (Sauk Valley) 78
T7. Grant Otting (Sandburg) 80
T7. Peyton Perez (Black Hawk) 80
9. Dreew Bjorngaard (Bryant & Stratton) 81
T10. Gannon Haskins (Black Hawk) 82
T10. Kyle Ketchum (Highland) 82
***Story courtesy of Carl Sandburg College***
