Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational
Marshall Men’s Golf In Third At Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational
9/11/2023 9:05:00 PM | Men's Golf
Bilby fires a 2nd round 65 to lead the Thundering Herd’s day one effort
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall junior Ryan Bilby shot a 6-under 65 in the second round to move into a tie for third place at 7-under after two rounds of the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational on Monday at Guyan Golf and Country Club.
Bilby's second round effort led a Marshall charge in which the Thundering Herd fired a round of 13-under, which served as the best single round of any team in the first two rounds of play on Monday.
That round propelled the team into third place at 14-under – just 10 strokes back of leader Belmont State (24-under) and six strokes back of Morehead State (20-under).
"I was very proud of our patience today," Marshall Men's Golf Coach Matt Grobe said. "In the morning round, we hit the ball good, but couldn't get anything to drop. In the second round, we stayed steady and continued to hit the ball good, but the putts started to drop. It was really good to see Ryan continue his great play after a wonderful summer."
Bilby's 65 tied the second-lowest round recorded on Monday when 36 holes of the 54-hole event were completed.
After a 1-under 70 in the opening round, Bilby built momentum early, notching birdies in four of his first six holes to shoot up the leaderboard and into the top-10.
The junior from Follansbee, W.Va., said it was about finding a rhythm in the latter round.
"I didn't play awesome, but I just got some momentum," Bilby said. "I hit a couple good shots and I hit a couple more. I just hit some shots really close on four or five holes and it sparked it a little bit. A 65 is a 65. It doesn't matter how you do it. You're happy with it. Let's go do it again tomorrow."
In addition to Bilby's round, Marshall's Tyler Jones is tied for 16th at 3-under while Joseph Kalaskey is tied for 19th at 2-under.
"It was great to see Tyler and Joseph play really good golf all day long," Grobe said. "I'm really proud of everyone on the team for playing really solid golf on our first 36-hole day of the year. We are looking forward to tomorrow."
Bilby said he feels like the best is yet to come for the Thundering Herd as they make a push for the title.
"We played really good this afternoon, but I think we've got more in us for tomorrow," Bilby said. "It's going to be tougher and it's only 18 holes, but we came back last year and had a chance to win, too. We know what to do in this position."
Tuesday's action is scheduled to get underway at 8:30 a.m. The awards ceremony is expected to begin around 2 p.m.
To follow along with the tournament's updates, click HERE.
Marshall Player Tee Locations (Final Round, 8:30 a.m.)
Team
Ryan Bilby – Hole No. 1
Tyler Jones – Hole No. 2
Joseph Kalaskey – Hole No. 3
Clayton Thomas – Hole No. 4
Andrew Wyss – Hole No. 5
Individuals
Christian Boyd – Hole No. 16
Cameron Jarvis – Hole No. 16
Ben Bridges – Hole No. 18B
Bennett Zeitner – Hole No. 18B
Jake Rodgers – Hole No. 18B
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---HerdZone.com---
Players Mentioned
