Men's golf in fourth, within striking distance of lead

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Simpson men's golf team carded a 313 on Saturday and sits in fourth place after the first two rounds of the Iowa Conference Championship.

The Storm closed play at Finkbine Golf Course with a 36-hole score of 617, five strokes behind third-place Luther (612) and three ahead of Wartburg (620).

Simpson slipped two spots from the first round, but is still within striking distance of tournament-leading Dubuque. The top five teams are seperated by just 19 strokes.

Dubuque leads the eight-team field with a two-round score of 601 and Central moved from fourth to second after turning in a 295 on Saturday, the low round of the day. The Dutch are seven strokes back at 608.

Conner Juilfs turned in the lowest score for Simpson in the second round, carding a 4-over 76. He is currently tied for 11th place at 154.

Trent Lindenman and Andy Hutchins continued to match each other stroke-for-stroke, as each fired 79s to lead Simpson in the individual standings. The duo is in a three-way tie for eighth at 153.

Shaan Desai shot 80 for a 36-hole total of 158, good enough for a tie for 17th place. Nathan Molstead shaved two strokes from the first round with a 79, leaving him tied for 22nd with 160 entering the final weekend.

Dubuque's Eric Wolfe (70-70-140) shot 2-under 70 for the second day in a row, leading the individual race by five strokes over Desmond Stoll of Central (76-69-145).

The championship continues next Friday (May 2) at Dubuque Golf and Country Club. Teams will go off the first tee in three waves, led by Loras and Buena Vista at noon. Players from Simpson, Wartburg and Coe will go off in the second wave, followed by players from Dubuque, Central and Luther in the third and final wave.

The Iowa Conference champion automatically qualifies for the 2014 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships May 13-16 at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C.

Team Standings

Simpson Scores