April 29, 2012
FRENCH LICK, Ind. - After the three-day, 72-hole Big Ten Championship, the Penn State men's golf team concludes in eighth place on the 12-team field at the 7,152-yard, par-72 Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort.
The Nittany Lions equaled their first-round score of 308 in the final round to bring their team total to 1216 (308-301-299-308). Penn State finished 41 strokes behind Illinois who took the team title. With a four-round total of 1175 (301-291-292-291), the Fighting Illini secured the automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Regional Tournament.
Illinois' Luck Guthrie set the pace on the individual leader board since the conclusion of the second round. Guthrie took first with a four-round total of 283 (72-71-67-73), four strokes ahead of second place Sam Chien of Northwestern.
Junior Anthony DeGol (Hollidaysburg, Pa.) came out on top for Penn State. DeGol's four-round total of 306 (73-77-75-81) landed him 24th on the individual leader board, 23 strokes behind Guthrie.
Both senior Tommy McDonagh (East Norwalk, Conn.) and junior Jay Woodward (Bridgeport, W.Va.) finished tied for 25th with scores of 307.
Freshman Jens Talbert (Little Rock, Ark.) improved four strokes between the third and fourth rounds. Talbert concluded tied for 28th with a score of 308 (74-74-82-78).
Freshman Xander McDonald-Smith (Rockaway Park, N.Y.) rounded out the Nittany Lion lineup with a score of 309 (81-76-76-76) to tie for 33rd.