By Mike McMahon, The Eagle-Tribune

It's nothing new for Methuen's Anthony Gallardo.

The UMass Lowell senior carded a 36-hole score of 147 (+3), finishing in a four-way tie for first in the field of 219 golfers at the recent NEIGA Championships. After a playoff, he took second place.

Gallardo shot a four-under 68 in the second round, which was just two shots off the course record, totaling seven birdies on the round, including five in the last nine holes.

"I was trying to keep it close to the greens and play it smart," said the Central Catholic grad. "It was a better day out there than the first round, although it started to get a little worse on the back nine. The first day we had winds gusting to around 30 or 40 mph all day. The scores were a lot higher because of that and I had a rough day."

Gallardo shot a 79 on the first day, but on the second day the conditions at The Captains on Cape Cod were near perfect for golf.

"A little cool, slight breeze and sunny on the front nine," Gallardo said. "The back nine was when the wind started gusting again. I was trying to get in the groove by just hitting fairways and then going at the pin from there. The putts were just not dropping on the from nine. I made two birdies and two bogies to shoot even par 36. The back nine was a different story.

"Once again I hit the 3-wood off the tee on the par 4s to get the ball in the fairway. I missed my approach shot into the 10th green, but knew I had a chance of making a 10-yard chip. I chipped it on and it rolled in for a birdie. From then on I was on a roll, I made two pars in a row then made three birdies in a row, one on a par 3 that came inches from a hole-in-one. I was 4-under par at that point and just told myself I to keep playing the same way.

"The thought of the course record never came into my head. The course was tough, but sometimes when you're feeling it, it doesn't matter."

Gallardo's performance came despite the River Hawks being disqualified from the team competition after a misunderstanding in tee times forced UML to forfeit for missing their times.

Gallardo said, "The second day we put up the lowest score for all of the Division 2 teams. Post University, who won the Division 2 title, said they won but it felt like they lost because we beat them by 11 strokes that day."

Added UML head coach Gary Mucia, "Despite all of the distractions, Anthony had a great tournament. That is what good captains do. The course record is 66, that's outrageous."

The NEIGA Championship has been played for the last 74 years, and is the largest tournament consisting of Division 1, 2, and 3 players.