March 26, 2011

Final Border Olympics Results in PDF Format

LAREDO, Texas - Joakim Mikkelsen's final-round 66 helped Baylor solidify its fourth top-five showing this season as the men's golf team finished third Saturday at the Border Olympics.

Mikkelsen established 18-, 36- and 54-hole career lows as the Drammen, Norway, native shot 11-under-par 205 to finish tied for third. It was Mikkelsen's fifth career top-five finish and his second and three tournaments. His 54-hole score of 205 is tied for the eighth-lowest in program history and is the lowest since teammate Cody Paladino's 203 at the 2007 Turtle Bay Intercollegiate.

"Getting Joakim (Mikkelsen) back in the lineup definitely helped," head coach Greg Priest said. "We traditionally excel at the Border Olympics and this is a place where we have a good environment and are very confident."

"Joakim played really solid," Priest said. "He hit the ball well Friday and was still shaking off some rust during the first round, but he really had it going in the second round.

Baylor reeled off three straight sub-par rounds to finish the Border Olympics at 18-under-par (287-275-284=846). No. 18 Arkansas claimed the Border Olympics team title by five strokes (32-under-par 832), while No. 28 Oklahoma finished second at 27-under-par 837. Rice came in fourth at 16-under-par, followed by No. 30 Liberty 11-under-par in fifth place.

Mikkelsen was one of three Bears to finish in the top 20. Paladino, who entered the final round tied for fourth, shot 75 Saturday to finish tied for 15th at 4-under-par 212. Ryan O'Rear completed the sub-par trifecta with a final-round 71 to finished 18th with a career-best 3-under-par 213.

"(Joakim) was phenomenal Saturday," Priest said. "Plus, it was great to see Cody (Paladino) play the way he did. It's been a long time coming. Both have a lot of confidence heading into the latter part of spring.

Senior Payne Gniewek, playing as an individual, shot a final-round 72 to tie for 31st at even-par 216. Jerry Ruiz also shot a final-round 72, tying for 35th overall at 1-over-par 217. Lorenzo Scotto finished at 7-over-par 223, good for a 57th-place tie.

"Our performance gave us the big confidence boost we've needed," Priest said. "We still have some fight left in us and we aren't ready to call it quits. We want to make sure we're peaking at the right time and we showed some signs this weekend that we are."

Baylor will next head to Scottsdale, Ariz., for the Wyoming Cowboy Classic to be held April 4-5.