*Revised with full second round information*

ITHACA, N.Y.--The Rider University golf team is competing this weekend at the 2010 Cornell Golf Invitational, hosted at the par-72 6,893 yard Robert Trent Jones Golf Course.

"We are steadily improving and our scores keep dropping for each tournament," said head coach Bob Whartenby.  "It was a tough day.  It was ready windy but the guys hung in there and posted some pretty good scores  We had one of the better afternoon rounds so I'm happy about that."

For the Broncs, senior Brian Accorsini (Hopkinton, Mass/Hopkinton) had a two-round score of 145 (70/75) and is tied for sixth place out of 81 golfers with 18 holes to go.  Accorsini made seven birdies in his opening round and 10 for the day, second most in the tournament.

"Brian played awesome, especially in the first round," said Whartenby.  "He had seven birdies during the opening round and 10 for the day out of 36 holes.  He made a ton of putts.  He worked for over three hours yesterday during the practice round on his putting and that hard work paid off.  He is right in the hunt to win the whole tournament."

As a team Rider shot 619 (310/309) and enters Sunday in 11th place out of 14 teams.

"My dad always used to tell me the more you practice, the luckier you get when playing golf," Whartenby added about Accorsini's three-hour putting green practice on Friday.  "I'm not sure there was luck involved but Brian certainly used the opportunity to practice to his advantage."

Also for Rider, senior Brent Wolgast (Bay City, Mich./Pendleton)  had a 36-hole total of 155 (77/78).  Last year, Wolgast shot a Rider-record 65 enroute to a sixth place finish in the tournament.  Wolgast is currently tied for 46th place.

Freshman James Buttermark (Staten Island, N.Y/Monsignor Farrell) had a 159 after rounds of 83 and 76.  Buttermark was 72nd after the first 18 holes but moved up to 58th after round two.

Junior Chris Wolak (Issaquah, Wash./Hopkinton) scored rounds of 80 and 84 for a 164 total and is in 69th place with senior Jordan Wycoff (Fort Washington, Pa./Saint Stephen's Episcopal) shooting 167 (87/80).  Wycoff is in 77th place.

"It's the modern way of thinking about golf, the way you drive and hit the ball," said Whartenby.  "It is just as important to make the five foot put as it is to hit the initial 300 yard shot.  "You have to back to my day as a player to when the short game was where it was at.  I'm trying to teach the team that everyone drives the ball the same and you have to make more putts than everyone else.  If you do that, you will drop your score."

Last season, Rider was eighth of 15 teams at Cornell.

The final 18 holes are Sunday.

"The goal every time we go out is to be around 300," Whartenby said.  "A few mistakes by each player and those shots add up.  If we limit that, we are right there."

Team Scores:
Binghamton 581, Columbia 585, Longwood 589, Cornell A 592, Lafayette 593, Siena 604, Bucknell 607, Canisius 609, Fordham 610, St. Bonaventure 610, Rider 619, Cornell B 621, Colgate 626, Ottawa 636.