Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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Miscalculated scorecard costs NU in Puerto Rico tourney

Math counts.

Northwestern golfer Tom Johnson learned that the hard way after being disqualified from the three-day Puerto Rico Classic on Tuesday for signing an incorrect scorecard.

The nation’s No. 21 golfer had NU’s top score before his dismissal, which led to a last-place finish for the Wildcats.

In NCAA competition, each golfer’s score is kept by his playing partner. But players are responsible for any errors on their own scorecards – if a golfer signs off on a score lower than his actual one, he is disqualified.

Before Tuesday’s final round, Johnson’s partner from Oklahoma was in a hurry after the match, so the NU sophomore signed his scorecard without double-checking it.

“I rushed it and got cornered into (handing in the scorecard),” said Johnson. “But it was still my mistake.”

By the time he noticed the error – Johnson’s score was listed as 75 when he had shot a 76 – his partner was gone and he was stuck. And the rules did not allow him to change it himself.

The disqualification cost the Cats nine strokes, bumping them to the bottom of the standings, tied with Virginia and Kent State at 49-over 913.

Had Johnson’s score counted, NU would have placed 13th out of 15 teams.

NU coach Pat Goss said he is trying to overturn Johnson’s disqualification because it could hurt him later in the year in All-America and All-Big Ten voting. Goss said the chances of that happening are “about 50-50.”

This was NU’s second last-place finish in as many tournaments this spring. The Cats placed last a week ago at the 15-team Mercedes-Benz Championship.

“We haven’t played well,” Goss said. “We have a good team, but when it comes to competition … we need to compete with a more consistent attitude.”

NU climbed to 11th place after the second day of the Puerto Rico Classic but slumped on the third day.

Junior Scott Harrington finished with NU’s best third-round score, shooting a 76.

“I was really disappointed with my score,” he said. “But I played better than I scored.”

NU’s best three-round total came from junior Bjorn Widerstedt, who finished at 8-over par with a 73-72-79.

No. 1 Georgia Tech won the Puerto Rico Classic for the third straight year, shooting a 35-under 829. Clemson took second, and host Purdue was third. These three teams were the only squads to finish below par.

The Cats have a month until their next event, the Morris Williams Intercollegiate Tournament in Austin, Texas. In the meantime, the NU golfers will be focusing on their short games and trying to put the last-place finishes behind them, Goss said.

The past two tournaments have been the worst any player on the team has seen at NU, Harrington said. But he expects the Cats to get better as the spring season continues.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Harrington said. “We just need a couple of things to go our way.”

In a start filled with bad luck, the Cats can only hope for things to get better.

“We just haven’t put together a positive streak,” Goss said. “But when we do, things will steamroll and something very good will happen.”

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Miscalculated scorecard costs NU in Puerto Rico tourney