UNCG up to 10th at Puerto Rico Classic
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – The No. 62 UNCG men’s golf team moved up three spots to 10th place on day two of the three-day, 54-hole tournament at the 16th annual Puerto Rico Classic on Monday with a 3-under-par 285 in the elite field that includes 14 top-100 teams and five top-10 programs.
No. 1 Alabama leads after 36 holes with a 31-under 545, holding a 10-stroke lead over No. 3 Georgia Tech (555) at the Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa’s River Course. Round three will be played Tuesday morning with an 8 a.m. shotgun start.
Freshman Carter Jenkins rebounded from a tough first-round score of 83 and carded the Spartans’ lowest round of the event with a 5-under-par 67. His 67 was the fourth-lowest score of the day as he notched six birdies and one bogey to move up 18 spots to 54th place.
Sophomore Taylor Coalson continued to be the top Spartan on the leaderboard after 36 holes, sitting in a tie for 13th place. Coalson carded a 2-under-par 70 Monday and is now 3-under-par 141 through the first two rounds. He notched four birdies on the round to offset a double bogey on hole No. 8.
Junior Alex Ehlert posted another solid performance, as he was even-par 72 for the second straight day. Ehlert tallied two birdies and two bogeys on the round to go along with 15 pars. In his first 36 holes this week, he has carded an even par on 30 holes.
Junior Roy Dixon was even-par through 16 holes Monday but dropped four strokes in the final two holes to finished with a 5-over 77. Sophomore Luke Haithcock was the Spartans’ fourth counting score of the day, posting a 4-over-par 76. Haithcock settled in down the stretch with a birdie and seven pars in his final eight holes.
Alabama’s Robby Shelton holds the individual lead at 13-under-par after posting the low round of the tournament Monday with an 8-under-par 64 with eight birdies and 10 pars. Adam Schenk of Purdue is second with a 10-under-par 134 after carding a 4-under 68 in round two.
Furman tied for 13th at John Hayt Collegiate Invitational
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Freshman Bryce Howell (+1) fired an opening-round 74 and a 71 in the day’s second round to lead Furman on Monday in the team’s spring season opener at The Hayt Collegiate Invitational at the par-72, 7,001-yard Sawgrass Country Club.
Opening-round play was suspended Sunday due to inclement weather then darkness and resumed on Monday. Second-round play followed immediately after the conclusion of the first round.
Howell, who enters Tuesday’s final round tied for 22nd place, birdied four holes on the front nine in each of the first two rounds to finish the day 10 strokes behind leader Sam Love of UAB, who carded a 67 in the opening round and a 68 in Monday’s second round.
Paladin sophomore Preston Cole (+2) carded a 70 in Monday’s second round after eagling the par-5 eighth hole and recording birdies on No. 1 and No. 11 to finish the day tied for 27th, just one stroke back of Howell. Senior Greg Carrier (+14) recovered with a 74 in the second round, notching two birdies to move into 78th place, just one stroke ahead of sophomore Wehman Hopke (+15), who combined for three birdies in the tournament’s first two rounds to place 79th.
Sophomore Preston Heyward (+17) registered two birdies in each round to enter Tuesday tied for 82nd place, while junior Michael Borton (+16), playing as an individual, shot an 80 in each round to tie for 80th place.
No. 2 Oklahoma State (-13) leads No. 6 UCF (-10) by three strokes heading into Tuesday’s final round. No. 13 UAB (-6), North Texas (+1), and GRU Augusta (+6) round out the top five teams.
The Paladins will tee off at 8:54 a.m. on Tuesday from hole No. 10 in the tournament’s final round.