UNCG move up to first at Pinehurst Intercollegiate
PINEHURST, N.C. – The 50th-ranked UNCG men’s golf team moved into sole possession of first place, 10 shots in the lead after round two of the Pinehurst Intercollegiate on Monday afternoon playing on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course. The Spartans picked up 13 strokes on second-place Belmont and will play the third and final round played on Pinehurst No. 8 with 9 a.m. shotgun start Tuesday.
Round one was played on the par-71 Pinehurst No. 8, while round two of the 54-hole event was played on the famed Pinehurst No. 2, host of major championships and the home of the 2014 U.S. Open Championship and the 2014 Women’s U.S. Open Championship. Pinehurst No. 2 is set for a par-70 course this week.
The Spartans carded a team score of 9-over-par 289 Monday on the No. 2 course, the best team score in the 10-team field by 13 strokes and the only team sub-300 on the day. UNCG sits alone atop the leaderboard with a 27-over 591 (302-289), while Belmont is in second with a 37-over 601 (299-302) and Loyola (Md.) is in third at 610 (303-307).
Junior Roy Dixon moved into a tie for second place in the individual standings with the best round of the day on the course, carding an even-par 70 Monday. Dixon recorded 14 pars, two birdies and two bogeys as the only golfer to reach par on the day. He sits in second place with a 4-over-par 145 (75-70), trailing only Patric Sundlof of Eastern Kentucky, who owns a 3-over-par 144 (73-71). First-round leader Danny Pizetoski of Richmond is tied with Dixon for second at 145 (69-76).
Freshman Jake McGlone moved into a tie for fourth place overall and sits 8-over-par 149 after 36 holes. He carded a 5-over-par 76 in round one before following that up with a 3-over-par 73 in round two with three birdies.
Sophomore Taylor Coalson was tied for second after day one but fell to sixth place overall with a 9-over-par 150. Coalson opened with a 1-over-par 71 Sunday but ended with an 8-over-par 78 in round two as he dropped five strokes on the last three holes of the day.
Junior Alex Ehlert made the largest move of the day, gaining 28 spots on the leaderboard and moving up to a tie for ninth place overall at 10-over-par 151. Ehlert opened the even with a 9-over-par 80 in round one but rebounded in round two with a 1-over-par 71, the second-lowest score of the day, with four birdies. Freshman Carter Jenkins rounds out the Spartans’ lineup with a 13-over-par 154 (79-75) to sit in a tie for 19th place overall.
Sophomore Luke Haithcock is tied for ninth place overall playing as an individual with a 10-over-par 151 (76-75). Redshirt freshman Will Thomas is tied for 26th place with a 15-over-par 156 (77-79) while also playing as an individual.
Furman sixth at Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate
AIKEN, S.C. – Sophomore Preston Heyward (+1) fired a 68 in Monday’s morning round and a 73 in the afternoon to place Furman (+27) in sixth place following the opening day of the 17th Annual Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate at the par-70 6,617-yard Palmetto Golf Club.
Heyward, who is tied for second place entering Tuesday’s final round, finished the first day of play just three strokes back of leader Austin Langdale (-2) of Clemson, who notched a two-round total of 69-69+138. The No. 31 Tigers (+11) lead the tournament with a two-round total of 571. No. 7 Virginia (+17) is second, while No. 26 South Carolina (+19) is in third place following two rounds of competition.
Sophomore Preston Cole (+5) opened the day with a 72 in the morning round then shot a 73 in the afternoon to tie for 10th place overall, while freshman Bryce Howell (+10), who carded a 77 in the morning round, fired a 73 in Monday’s afternoon round to tie for 47th.
Junior Michael Borton (+11) shot a 77 in the opening round and a 74 in the afternoon to tie for 57th, while sophomore Wehman Hopke (+26) enters the tournament’s final round in 88th place after notching an 81 and 85 in Monday’s rounds.
The Paladins will tee off of No. 1 Tuesday at 10:15 a.m.
Chattanooga 11th at Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate
AIKEN, S.C. – The Chattanooga Mocs men’s golf team is in 11th place after 36 holes Monday at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate. The Mocs shot rounds of 295 and 296 for a total of 591. That puts the squad just two strokes behind GRU Augusta and Liberty in ninth at 589 and three out of seventh-place NC State and USC Aiken.
Davis Bunn led the Chattanooga five with a 75 Monday morning before carding an even-par 70 in the afternoon. His 145 total is tied for 10th with nine other golfers. Chris Robb is one shot behind him, tied for 20th at 146 after turning in rounds of 74 and 72.
Liam Johnston got off to a good start in the morning before struggling on the second 18, shooting 71 and 79. Ewan Scott and Stuart Thomas had identical totals of 155 with scores of 75 and 80 alternating those scores.
Tuesday’s final round starts at 11 a.m.
Elon tied for 15th at Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate
AIKEN, S.C. – Playing its second tournament of the spring season, the Elon men's golf team finished the first day of the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate in a tie for 15th place with a two-round score of 600 (298-302).
Leading the way for the Phoenix in the 18-team field is John Somers, who will enter Tuesday's final round in a tie for 33rd out of 90 participants. Somers carded a 72 over his first 18 holes before shooting a 76 in his second round of the day for a total score of 148.
In a tie for 47th is Stuart Kaufman, who shot a 150 (74-76) for the day.
Just one stroke back in a tie for 57th is Will DiIanni. He finished the day with a score of 151 (75-76).
Jonathan DiIanni’s 154 (80-74) has him tied for 65th, while Troy Beaver shot a 156 (77-79) to end the day tied for 74th.
Clemson's Austin Langdale sits atop the individual leaderboard with a two-round mark of 138 (69-69).
The Clemson Tigers also paced all teams with a mark of 571 (281-290).
The remainder of the top five consists of Virginia (577), South Carolina (579), Georgia State (585) and Wofford (585).
The third and final round of the tournament will be played on Tuesday.
Western Carolina 12th at Tiger Invitational
OPELIKA, Ala. – Western Carolina junior J.T. Poston is tied for third overall in the 81-golfer field after 36 holes at the Tiger Invitational at the par-72, 7,149-yard Grand National Lake Course. Western Carolina carded team rounds of 307 and 310 to sit in 12th place overall with a two-round score of 617.
The third and final round is scheduled for an 8:45 am ET / 7:45 am CT start Tuesday.
Ranked seventh in the most recent GolfStat rankings, Poston opened his day with the second-lowest round by an individual, shooting 6-under-par 66. Opening on the par-3 eighth, Poston carded 12 pars and six birdies for his 6-under round to begin the tournament. The second round for the Hickory, N.C., product was a little more hectic, as he countered four bogeys with a trio of birdies and 11 pars for a 1-over 73. He enters the final round just four strokes off the individual lead.
Behind Poston, WCU had two golfers, freshman Nont Panayanggool and redshirt junior Collin Witiak, tied for 64th overall with two-round scores of 160. Both Panayanggool (81 & 79) and Witiak (81& 79) carded five birdies in the first two rounds on Monday.
Sophomore Tyler Lail is tied for 74th overall at 163 (84 & 79), with junior Matthew Turner rounding out WCU's scoring five in 77th overall (79 & 85). Lail charted three birdies in his second round, while Turner had four birdies between his two rounds on Monday.
The tournament’s host, No. 28 Auburn, leads the field by 10 strokes over second-place No. 42 Kennesaw State. The Tigers shot 564 with rounds of 277 and 287, while the Owls are in the clubhouse with a two-round score of 574. No. 38 Memphis is in third place, 11 strokes behind KSU at 585, with Mississippi State (586) in fourth, three strokes ahead of the two-way tie between Troy and Auburn's "B" team at 589.
Auburn's Niclas Carlsson holds a one-stroke lead over Jacksonville State's Tomasz Anderson, thanks to a 7-under 65 during Monday's first round. He followed that up with a 2-under 70 in the second round. He carded 10 birdies and one eagle on the day.
Appalachian State sixth at Bash at the Beach
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – After day one, the Appalachian State University men’s golf team sits in sixth place overall at the Bash at the Beach. The tournament is being played at the par-72, 6,842-yard Surf Golf and Beach Club.
Senior Casey Komline is currently in first place for Appalachian and tied for 14th place overall. He shot a 73 (+1) in the first round and a Mountaineer-best 70 (-2) in the second round.
Junior Eric Eberspeaker is in second place for Appalachian and tied for 30th place overall. In the first round, he shot a 71 (-1), which was the best for Appalachian, and a 75 (+3) for the second round.
Sophomores Lee Mitchell and Caleb Keck are currently tied for 42nd place. They both shot a 148 (+6). Keck had the better first round but Mitchell had the better second round.
Senior John Michael Cole teed off fourth for the Mountaineers. He found his groove late, posting a 79 (+4) in the first round and 74 (+2) in the second round.
Round three will convene Tuesday.