07/31/2010 - Duke Sports Information

LEWISTON, N.Y. -- Incoming freshman Yaroslav Merkulov posted a final round 66 (-4) at the Niagara Falls Country Club to finish tied for 33rd at the 52nd annual Porter Cup. Wes Roach was also under-par on Saturday with a 69, while Brinson Paolini shot a two-over 72.

Merkulov opened the final round with back-to-back pars before moving into red figures with a birdie on the par 5 third hole. He added a birdie on No. 8 to get to two-under on the round. Merkulov ran into trouble with a bogey on No. 9 and a double-bogey on NO. 10 to slip to one-over. He rebounded in tremendous fashion with an eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie stetch on holes No. 11-14 to get to four-under and closed the day with four straight pars. Merkulov finished the tournament with an even-par 280.

Roach finished the event with an 288 (+8) to tie for 61st overall. On Saturday, he recorded five birdies, nine pars and four bogeys en route to a one-under 69. Roach bogeyed his first hole of the day before carding birdies on No. 6 and No. 8 to get to one-under. He bogeyed the next two holes to fall to one-over but quickly got back into red figures with birdies on No. 11 and No. 13. Roach carded a bogey on No. 14 before rebounding to play the final four holes at one-under with a birdie on the par 3 16th hole.

Paolini got off to a rocky start with a double-bogey on No. 1 and never quite recovered on Saturday. The Virginia Beach, Va., native birdied the par 5 third hole but suffered a double-bogey on No. 7 and a bogey on No. 9 to fall to four-over. Paolini posted back-to-back birdies after the turn and closed with seven straight pars to finish tied for 50th with a five-over 285.

David Chung posted five birdies on the back nine to shoot a five-under 65 on Saturday and claim medalist honors with a 13-under 267. Gavin Hall and Peter Uihlein finished three shots back at 10-under, while Russell Henley (-9) and Nate McCoy (-7) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.