Jenkins, UNCG first at Wolfpack Intercollegiate
GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG freshman men’s golfer Carter Jenkins had a record-setting performance Monday afternoon to lead the Spartans to the top of the leaderboard at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate after 36 holes at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh.
Jenkins’ play helped the Spartans break program records for both individual low scores and team low scores after 18 holes and 36 holes, respectively. Additionally, freshman Jake McGlone posted the third hole-in-one in program history in the Spartans’ record-setting day.
The Spartans will tee off for the third and final round Tuesday morning from hole No. 1. Tee times for UNCG begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude with a 10:06 a.m. tee time for the final group, which includes Jenkins.
Jenkins, playing in his third career collegiate tournament, holds a six-stroke lead on the field as he fired an astounding 16-under par 128 through the first two rounds. He opened his day with a 7-under par 65 before tying the UNCG program record with a 9-under par 63 in round two. He closed his record-tying round with seven birdies on the back nine, including five straight to end the afternoon with an exclamation point. He recorded 19 birdies in 36 holes of play Monday.
Jenkins’ 9-under par 63 ties the previous mark set by Drew Younts at the Mission Inn Collegiate Invitational during the 2006-07 season. His 36-hole total of 128 is 10 strokes better than any previous UNCG golfer in program history as the previous record of 138 was held by Jason Martin at the Liberty Classic in 1998-99. He leads East Tennessee State’s Gudmundur Kristjanssson by six strokes after Kristjansson posted a 10-under par 134 Monday.
Jenkins play helped the Spartans hold a three-stroke lead in the team standings as UNCG posted a 22-under-par 554 Monday. The Spartans opened the tournament with a program-record 276 in round one before posting a 278 in round two, which is good for the fourth-lowest round in program history. The Spartans are three strokes ahead of second-place East Tennessee State (557) and 12 strokes ahead of third-place East Carolina (566). The Spartans’ 276 in round one is one shot better than the previous UNCG low of 277 set at the Stetson Intercollegiate (1995-96) and the 49er Collegiate Classic (2004-05). Additionally, the 36-hole score of 554 for UNCG is 17 strokes better than the previous record of 571.
Sophomore Taylor Coalson had a stellar day in his own rite as he sits in a tie for fifth place overall. Coalson posted an 8-under par 136 Monday, opening with a 5-under-par 67 in round one and a 3-under-par 69 in round two. His 67 in round one was a career-low, trimming two shots off his previous low of 69 set twice last year as a freshman at Pinehurst Intercollegiate and the Bancorp South Intercollegiate. He carded 11 birdies on the afternoon, including seven in his career-low first round.
McGlone continued the Spartans’ highlight reel day as he posted the third hole-in-one in program history in round one. He stepped up to the 163-yard No. 6 hole and hit an 8-iron on to the green before watching it role into the cup for the ace. McGlone finished the 36 holes tied for 46th overall with a 3-over-par 146. He carded an even-par 72 in round one before following that up with a 3-over-par 75 in his first career collegiate event in the Spartans’ five-member lineup.
Freshman Luke Haithcock and junior Roy Dixon rounded out the Spartans’ lineup tied for 58th place at 6-over-par 150. Haithcock opened with a 79 in round one before rebounding with a 1-under-par 71 in round two. Dixon began the day with an even-par 72 before posting a 6-over-par 78 in the second 18 holes.
Junior Alex Ehlert and redshirt freshman Will Thomas each played as individuals Monday. Ehlert posted a 4-over-par 148 (73-75) while Thomas carded a 5-over-par 159 (75-75).
Western Carolina tied for 15th at Wolfpack Intercollegiate
RALEIGH, N.C. – Western Carolina junior J.T. Poston carded consecutive rounds of 3-under-par 69 and 5-under-par 67 on Monday to sit in a two-way tie for fifth place overall, pacing the Catamounts after 36 holes at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate being played at the par-72, 7,358-yard Lonnie Poole Golf Course.
As a team, the Catamounts are tied for 15th after posting two rounds under 300 at 299 and 297, respectively.
Paired with team golfers from Drexel and five different individuals including two from UNCG and one apiece from UNCW, East Tennessee and East Carolina, WCU’s scoring five will tee off on the back nine on hole No. 10 beginning at 9:30 am. Poston is in the final pairing of the day at approximately 10:06 a.m.
Medalist in his first two tournaments of the season, Poston carded 10 birdies and an eagle through his opening 36 holes to sit at 8-under 136. Opening on the par-4, 448-yard 13th for both rounds, Poston birdied two of his first eight holes in the first round before a bogey on No. 3 left him at 1-under through nine. The Hickory, N.C., native birdied four of his final nine holes with two bogeys to shoot 3-under 69.
Poston played his first four holes even with a bogey and a birdie to start his second 18 holes with a birdie on the par-3, 17th moving him to 1-under before heading to the front nine. An eagle on the 578-yard par-5 No. 1 moved him to 3-under, where he stayed the remainder of the front, carding eight consecutive pars. Back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th moved Poston to 5-under par for his second round.
True freshman Nont Panayanggool turned in rounds of 1-over par 73 and 5-over par 77 to sit tied with nine other golfers for 58th.
Carding six birdies on the day, senior Greg Bunner fired consecutive rounds of 4-over par 76 to stand in a tie for 70th overall. Rounding out WCU’s scorers were redshirt junior Collin Witiak (83-77=160) in a tie for 85th and senior Jack Walsh (81-81=162) in 88th place.
With two golfers inside the individual top five, including overall leader Carter Jenkins (65-63=128), Southern Conference foe UNCG leads the 17-team field by three strokes over future conference foe East Tennessee. The Spartans (554) turned in team scores of 276 and 278 to lead the Buccaneers (557). East Carolina (566) is in third place, 12 strokes off the pace at 566 with tournament host NC State (568) and Temple (573) rounding out the team top five.
Davidson 11th at Firestone Invitational
AKRON, Ohio – Paced by first-round leader Richard Fountain, the Davidson men's golf team will enter the final round of the Firestone Invitational just nine strokes out of fifth place.
The 54-hole event is being played on the par-72, 7,125-yard Firestone Country Club layout.
Fountain (+1), who fired an opening-round 3-under 69, is currently tied for 11th after shooting a 76 in his afternoon round. The two-time NCAA participant will enter Tuesday's final round five strokes off the lead, which is held by Matt Green (Kansas State) and Stuart Grehan (Eastern Michigan).
Ranked 85th in the latest Golfstat Top 100, Davidson is in 11th place out of 17 schools with a 36-hole total of 599 (301-298). The Wildcats are just one behind Miami (Ohio) and two back of Georgetown.
Todd Eckstein (150 / T-32nd) and Sam Echikson (150 / T-42nd) led the Wildcats in round two with rounds of even-par 72.
David Sargent (153 / T-54th) and Ralph Blasey (159 / T-80th) are also competing for Davidson.
Washington State (+4) holds the top spot in the team standings by eight strokes over Kansas State. The leaderboard is tightly bunched as only 12 strokes separate second and 12th place.
This year’s field also includes Ohio, No. 5 USC Aiken, No. 69 Samford, No. 86 Saint Mary’s, College of Charleston, Francis Marion, Illinois State, Nebraska, Old Dominion and Western Kentucky.
The third and final round of the annual event will begin Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.