For Immediate Release: October 17, 2010
Contact: Kevin Solan (sports1@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-2956

BU cruises to second team title of fall season at Lincoln Mercury Intercollegiate

Katz leads trio of Bearcats to top-10 finishes

Results

BEDMINSTER, N.J. -- Trailing opening round leader Temple University by two stokes, BU carded a final round of 1-over 289 and surged to a five-shot victory out of 18 schools at the Lincoln Mercury Intercollegiate Sunday. Senior co-captain Jake Katz led a trio of Bearcats with top-10 finishes as he tied Zach Vinal for third place on the program's all-time top-10 finishes list with 22.

The Bearcats added their second team title of the fall season with their second-best 18-hole round of the year at 1-over-par 289. A slew of personal best finishes helped BU achieve the victory as freshmen Bryce Edmister and junior Mike Surdey each tied at sixth. Freshman Paul Andrews also had a record finish at T-11, although his score was only counted in the individual standings. BU's victory avenges a third-place mark out of nine schools at last year's event.

Three-time America Sky Conference Player of the Week Jake Katz
earned his ninth-career runner-up finish and 10th consecutive top-10 performance, dating back to the team's win at the Hal Sutton Intercollegiate last season. Katz was the only player to fire an opening round score under-par as he negotiated windy conditions with gusts up to 40 mph en route to a 2-under 70. With a a two stroke lead and a second individual title in sight, Katz shot a 1-over 73 and fell victim to a masterful 64 carded by Delaware's Justin Martinson, the defending Lincoln Mercury Intercollegiate champion, who overtook Katz for the medalist honor. The score of 8-under broke the Fiddler's Elbow Country Club River Course record. Despite Martinson's impressive individual feat, Katz remained in contention heading into the par-5 18th but knocked a seven-iron approach over a difficultly sloped green, leading to a double-bogey. Katz, who was tabbed No. 110 by the latest Golfweek/Sagarin poll, ranks among the top-10 in hitting greens in regulation by Golfstat (.798).

Surdey made a breakthrough return to the starting lineup with a 2-under-par 70 in the final round to garner a sixth-place finish. His two-day total of 77-70 (147) was good for his first top-10 effort of the season.

Edmister, who tallied a career-best 1-under-69 in the final round of the Philadelphia Big 5 Invitational, earned a sixth-place finish on the strength of a 75-72 (147) performance. Andrews, who was competing in the individual portion of the event, narrowly missed a top-10 standing with a 73-75 (148) two-day total.

BU's first-place effort at the Lincoln Mercury Intercollegiate wraps up the fall portion of the 2010-11 campgain. Four events, including a 12-team conference championship from Scottsdale, Ariz. highlight the spring schedule.