Burns Retains Lead in Division II Golf Meet, but Northridge Team Needs to Catch Fire

Bob Burns still has the hot clubs in the NCAA Division II golf championships, but he’s going to need help today if Cal State Northridge is to slow Florida Southern’s march to the title.

Burns fired a four-under-par 68 Thursday, the lowest score of the week on the 6,850-yard course at the Loxahatchee Country Club. He remains atop the leader board, and, with a three-day total of 213, holds a six-stroke advantage over the 90-player field.

However, Florida Southern increased its lead in the team standings to 15 strokes with a 294, good for 883 overall. The Moccasins led by 10 and 12 strokes, respectively, after the first and second rounds.

Thanks to Burns, Northridge moved into a tie for second with Troy State (Ala.). The Matadors shot 296 Thursday, Troy 297. CSUN was second after the opening round; Troy State was the runner-up at the midway point.

“Our chances of making up 15 shots (today) are not very realistic,” Northridge Coach Jim Bracken said. “What we’ll have to do is make the turn under par and then play even better, turn up the heat a little higher, on the last nine.

“They (Florida Southern) have a very good team. You can’t wait for them to collapse. We came here with a good team too. We just haven’t got it done this week.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Charley Matlock, who has coached FSC to four Division II championships and four runner-up finishes in the past 12 years.

“For Northridge or Troy to win now,” Matlock said, “they would have to have a couple of players shooting 72s and 73s and for us to have some in the 80s. They (Northridge and Troy) could do it, but it will be difficult on this golf course.”

With only the low four of five scores counted each day, Florida Southern has not had to include a round higher than 77. By comparison, Northridge has not had a round under 75--except the two by Burns--and has had two 78s.

“I just decided to forget about the bad attitude I had about the greens and go play today,” said Burns, 22, a junior from Granada Hills. Hitting 17 greens in regulation, he had five birdies--three on putts in the 10- to 15-foot range--and one bogey, on the par-3 12th, the green he missed.

Florida Southern’s Dave McMillan is second with 219 after posting a 73 Thursday.

Other results for Northridge Thursday: Jeff Sanday, 75-225; Sang Hyun, 75-230; Wayne Merich, 78-236; and Corby Segal, 82-236.