INDEPENDENCE, Minn. - Junior Barend Botha fired a team-best four-under par 67 on Sunday to lead the Toledo men's golf team on the first day of Minnesota's Gopher Invitational. The Rockets are tied for 11^th place with an even-par 568 and are just nine shots out of fifth place in the tournament being played at the par-71, 7,293-yard Windsong Farm Golf Club.

Botha (74-67=141) is tied for 35^th place after registering four birdies in a bogey-free second round.

Botha is just one stroke ahead of junior Jamie Tofte Nielsen (T-38^th/142) and freshman Bence Kotel (T-38^th/142) and two shots in front of senior NJ Botha (T-44^th/143). Senior Palmer Yenrick is in 79^th place at nine-over 151.

Rutgers is leading the 15-team field with a 15-under par 553, three shots in front of second-place Michigan State.

The Rockets will begin tomorrow's final round of the tournament with an 8:30 a.m. CT tee time.

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Rutgers 273-280=553 (-15); 2. Michigan State 275-281=556 (-12); T3. Kent State 284-273=557 (-11); T3. Georgia Southern 276-281=557 (-11); 5. Furman 283-276=559 (-9); T6. Baylor 288-272=560 (-8); T6. Kansas 280-280=560 (-8); 8. Notre Dame 289-273=562 (-6); 9. Minnesota 281-283=564 (-4); 10. Yale 279-287=566 (-2); T11. Toledo 283-285=568 (E); T11. Arkansas State 282-286=568 (E); T11. Coastal Carolina 287-281=568 (E); 14. West Virginia 287-284=571 (+3); 15. Iowa State 286-288=574 (+6)

TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS
T1. Garrett Cooper (CCU) 68-66=134 (-8); T1. Will Morlan (Furman) 66-68=134 (-8); T1. Xavier Marcoux (Rutgers) 64-70=134 (-8); T1. Rhett Sellers (Rutgers) 64-70=134 (-8); T5. Wilson Andress (GSU) 69-67=136 (-6); T5. Palmer Jackson (UND) 68-68=136 (-6); T5. Ben Carr (GSU) 67-69=136 (-6)

TOLEDO INDIVIDUALS
T35. Barend Botha 74-67=141 (-1); T38. Jamie Tofte Nielsen 69-73=142 (E); T38. Bence Kotel 71-71=142 (E); T44. NJ Botha 69-74=143 (+1); 79. Palmer Yenrick 75-76=151 (+9)