Despite freshmen, Kepler Intercollegiate eludes IU

The third and final round of the Kepler Intercollegiate began with the Hoosiers, led by freshman Seth Brandon, four strokes ahead of Northwestern in a two-team race for first place. But after 18 holes and a playoff, the Wildcats escaped with the championship and medalist honors. Saturday's second round ended with IU and Northwestern, with totals of 578 and 582 respectively, having significant separation from the rest of the field. Twenty-two strokes behind the then-leading Hoosiers, Marshall University posed the next-closest threat to first place. IU's Brandon and Northwestern's Kyle Moore each held a share of first place, and though Northwestern would later seize sole possession of the lead as a team, these two would need extra holes to break their tie. \nDespite the round's third lowest score, with Brandon and fellow freshman Jorge Campillo each shooting 74, IU's four-stroke lead was not enough to withstand Northwestern's push for the lead. The Wildcats' third-round 296 left them four strokes ahead of IU, but Moore and Brandon each sat atop the leaderboard with a total score of 215. \nMoore topped his co-leader after the playoff's second hole, leaving Brandon with shared medalist honors instead of sole possession of first place. \n"From the opening round to the final hole, Seth had a great tournament," said coach Mike Mayer in a statement. "He gave us exactly what we need and stepped up in a big way. I'm very pleased and proud with how Seth battled." \nCampillo, fresh off a medalist-earning performance at the Boilermaker Invitational and a resulting Big Ten Golfer of the Week award, held the team's second-highest score at 217. The team's other three competitors each shot a 78 in the final round. Senior Brad Marek's participation in the event marked his first since the fall, and he showed no signs of rust, finishing tied for 11th at 224. Freshman Drew Allenspach, who finished in a tie for second at the Boilermaker Invitational, ended with a score of 226 and a share of 16th place. Rounding out the IU lineup with a 231 was sophomore Santiago Quirarte. \nThe Kepler marked IU's fourth top-three finish in five spring events. Though disappointed not to have left on top, Mayer remained very pleased with his team's performance. \n"This was a great tournament for the team," he said in a statement. "Hats off to our guys. Just look at the difference in scoring between second and third place. We got off to one of the worst starts of the season and fought back with outstanding back nine. You just have to give credit to Northwestern on a great round"