By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Oliver Smith (So., San Jose, CA/Pioneer HS) from Willamette University advanced from a five-way tie for 15th place into a two-way tie for fourth place in the second round of the Pacific Invitational on Sunday, Sept. 17 at the Quail Valley Golf Course. Smith shot a 70 on Sunday to tie for the low round of the day. He shot a 75 in the first round and finished the 36-hole tournament at 145, just three strokes out of the lead.

Willamette golfer Jack Carr (Fy., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage HS) also moved up in the standings. Carr was tied for 13th after shooting a 74 in the first round. He added a 73 in the second round for an overall score of 147 as he joined three other golfers in a tie for seventh place.

Led by Smith and Carr, Willamette moved from sixth place in the team standings after 18 holes into fourth place in the final standings. The Bearcats carded a team score of 303 in the first round and completed the second round at 297 for a total of 600.

Linfield University won the team championship at 580 with rounds of 287 and 293. Whitman College placed second at 586 (291-295) and George Fox University was third at 593 (293-300). Willamette followed in fourth at 600, with Pacific Lutheran University in fifth at 608 (301-307), Pacific University in sixth at 615 (299-316), Puget Sound in seventh with a score of 643 (313-330), and Lewis & Clark College in eighth place at 664 (341-324).

The individual title went to Douglas Bailey of Linfield. Bailey shot a 1-under 71 in both rounds for an overall score of 2-under par 142. He won by a single stroke over Whitman golfers Alex Knox and Mason Remington, who tied for second place at 1-under par 143. Knox shot 73-70, and Remington, who led after the first round, carded 68-75.

Smith of Willamette and Chris Zamani from Linfeld tied for fourth place at 145. Smith's scores of 75-70 were equalled by Zamani's scores of 72-73. Jacob Smissen from Linfield was sixth overall at 146 (72-74).

Carr's score of 147 (74-73) for the Bearcats tied for seventh, along with Brenden Borck and Brett Hassoun of George Fox, and Ben Sweet from Whitman. Borck shot 70-77, while Hassoun carded 75-72, and Sweet shot 73-74.

Also competing for Willamette were Alexander Papajohn (Fy., Parker, CO/Lutheran HS), Paxton Jones (Jr., Wellington, NZ/Scots College) and Connor Murphy (So., Palm Desert, CA/Xavier College Prep). Papajohn tied for 17th at 152 after shooting a 74 in the first round and a 78 in the second round. Jones shot 156 (80-76) and Murphy carded a total of 163 (85-78).

The Bearcats are scheduled to compete again on Monday, Sept. 25 and Tuesday, Sept. 26 at the Bulldog Fall Invitational, hosted by the University of Redlands. The tournament will be held at the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont, California.