Cornell Leads Huskers to Ninth Place at Xavier Invite

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska junior Judd Cornell fired a career-low round of 66 on Tuesday in the final round of the Xavier Invitational in Loveland, Ohio, to help Nebraska move up four spots to ninth place in the team standings.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Cornell’s six-under par round bettered his previous career low by four strokes and allowed him to finish three rounds of play at eight-under par 208, good for a fourth-place finish. Cornell opened the tournament with rounds of 70 and 72 on Monday at the par 72, 6,921-yard Oasis Golf Club. Indiana’s Jeff Overton captured the individual crown with a remarkable three-round total of 24-under-par 192, including a 61 on Tuesday.

 

The play of Cornell helped Nebraska to a 286 team score in the final round, the fifth-best score in the final round. The Huskers finished three rounds with an 879 team total, good for a ninth-place tie with Marquette, and the Huskers’ strong Tuesday round allowed them to move up from their 13th-place standing after two rounds of play. Indiana easily captured the team crown with an 834 team total, good for a 21-shot victory over St. Mary’s (Calif.) and Wisconsin. Louisville was fourth at 857, while Xavier and UNC Greensboro tied for fifth place at 858.

 

In addition to Cornell, Nebraska received strong play from Tom Bethel and Brady Schnell on Tuesday. Bethel fired an even-par 72 in Tuesday’s final round to finish three rounds at 222, good for a tie for 41st place. Schnell shot 71 in the third round to tie for 49th place with a 223 total. Drew Reynolds finished three rounds at 227 (tie 71st), while Tyler Bishop finished tied for 85th at 231.

 

Nebraska is next in action at the Squire Creek Invitational, hosted by Louisiana Tech, next Monday and Tuesday.