Nick Rounds Wins Princeton Invite

Second Consecutive PIT Crown for Rounds

by Jared Bell- News Tribune

September 22, 2009

Princeton Invite: Rounds holds on to win

By Jared Bell

PRINCETON — Hall’s Nick Rounds doesn’t care how he ended Saturday’s Princeton Invitational Golf Tournament. He just cares that he won — again.
The Red Devil senior fired a 1-over-par 73 to edge both Rock Falls’ Tanner Brown and Princeton’s Collin Slattery by two strokes to win his second straight PIT crown despite finishing the final three holes at 4-over.

“I played really well (Saturday), regardless of what happened the last three holes,” Rounds said. “I did really well on the back nine and hit good shots on the front nine, so overall a good day.”

Rounds, who shot a 74 to win last year’s PIT, played a steady round through Hole No. 15, where he was 3-under and had approximately a five-shot lead with three holes left.
Rounds played the front at a 1-under 36 and was 3-under on the front’s three par 5s. After birdies at No. 10 and No. 14, he sat at 3-under heading to No. 16.

“Once again, Nick played an extremely good round here,” Hall coach Tom Bauer said.

“Obviously, this year he had a tough finish, sitting 3-under with three holes to go, but you’ve got to look past his finish and look at that he played through the hardest part of the back nine 2-under par. He’s been up-and-down this year, and I hope this is like last year where it kicks him off to a good last two weeks of the season.”

Trouble ensued on No. 16 when Rounds yanked his tee shot left out of play. After a drop, his approach shot landed just wide of the green. He chipped on and one-putted to save bogey. He followed on No. 17 missing a short par putt, but still had a comfortable lead heading to No. 18. “I never got upset, and when I was going into 18, I was thinking, ‘Just make par here and it’s a great round,’ ” Rounds said.