Wofford in first at Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The Wofford College men’s golf team picked up the spring season right where it left off in the fall and holds an 18-hole lead at the 10th Annual Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate, which teed off Monday morning at the Wexford Plantation Golf Club.
The Terriers shot an opening-round 2-over-par 290 to lead the 19-team field. Charleston Southern was close behind, completing the first round just a stroke back in second place. The Wexford Plantation course is playing at 6,913 yards.
Second-round play got underway as scheduled Monday afternoon but was suspended due to darkness. Golfers in the 95-man competition were between three and five holes from completion when they were brought in. The round will be completed first thing Tuesday morning, followed by the final round.
When round two was stopped, Wofford had opened its lead to seven strokes. The Terriers are 1-over-par as a team in the second round and 3-over-par for the tournament. Fourth-ranked USC Aiken is in second place at 10-over-par, climbing 14 spots from its first-round position.
Sophomore Andrew Novak led the field after carding a 3-under-par 69 in Monday’s first round. Novak is 2-over-par in his second round and tied for third at 1-under for the tournament.
Two other Terriers sit in the top 10. Sophomore Jeremy Grab posted a 1-over 73 in round one and is 1-under through 15 holes in round two. He sits in fifth place at even-par. Meanwhile, senior Brannan Hudson is in eighth place. He also shot a 73 in the first round and is even through 14 in his second round.
Senior Cory Taylor is tied for 13th. Taylor was 3-over-par in is first round but is holding at even in his second.
Sophomore Cam Andrade rounds out the Terriers in the field. He came in with a first-round 13-over-par 85.
Western Carolina tied for third at Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Western Carolina senior J.T. Poston carded an opening-round 69 and is even-par through 15 holes in the second round to lead the Catamounts – and the tournament field overall – Monday in the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate being held at the par-72, 6,913-yard venue namesake of the event. Second-round play was halted due to darkness and will resume Tuesday morning with the final round to follow.
As a team, Western Carolina (296) stood tied for third overall with both Radford and Georgia Southern after the first round. However, the Catamounts slipped six places into ninth place with anywhere from two to four holes remaining in the second round.
Poston sits at 3-under par through 33 of the scheduled 36 holes of the opening day. The Hickory, N.C., product charted five birdies against a pair of bogeys to shoot 69 over his first 18 holes. In his second round, Poston has a pair of birdies against a double-bogey on the par-4 fourth. He will conclude his second round with holes 10 through 13 on Tuesday morning.
All told, Poston's seven birdies through 33 holes are tied for fourth in the field.
WCU freshman Bright Julamool posted an opening-round 2-over-par 74 and is 5-over in his second round with four holes to play. The rookie stands tied for 35th overall. Junior Tyler Lail is currently tied for 44th with a 75 in the first round and is also 5-over par in his second round with two holes to play.
Rounding out Western Carolina's scoring five are senior Matthew Turner in a tie for 64th and sophomore Nont Panayanggool in a tie for 80th. Turner shot 78 to open the tournament and is 5-over with three holes remaining, while Panayanggool fired a 79 to begin play and is 9-over-par with four holes to complete his second round.
At the time play was suspended on Monday, Wofford held a lead over second-place USC Aiken, which rallied 14 spots into the runner-up position. Charleston Southern and Georgia Southern are tied for third with Radford falling two places into fifth place with a few holes remaining to get the tournament through 36 holes.
The tournament will conclude beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday with the resumption of the second round.
Furman 14th at Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Junior Wehman Hopke (+3) carded an opening-round 75 and is even following 16 holes in the second round to lead Furman Monday in the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate at the par-72, 6,913-yard Wexford Plantation on Hilton Head Island. Second-round play was suspended due to darkness and will resume on Tuesday morning.
Hopke, who enters Tuesday’s play tied for 13th place, birdied three holes in each round on Monday to finish the day six strokes back of Western Carolina’s J.T. Poston (-3), who fired a 69 in the opening round and is also even following 15 holes of the second round.
Paladin sophomore Bryce Howell (+6) birdied four out of the first five holes to card an opening-round 73 and is 5-over in the second round to enter Tuesday’s play tied for 28th, while junior Preston Cole (+13) leads Furman at 1-under in the second round after recording three consecutive birdies on Noa. 5, 6, and 7, then birdieing No. 12.
Freshman Hunter Nichols (+15) birdied three holes in the opening round, including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, to shoot a 76 in the first round and has two birdies so far in the second round, while junior Preston Heyward (+18) scored a birdie in each of the first two rounds.
Wofford (+3) holds a seven-stroke lead over No. 4 USC Aiken (+10) after carding an opening-round 290. Charleston Southern (+14) and No. 46 Georgia Southern (+14) are tied for third, while Radford completes the top five.
The tournament will conclude on Tuesday. Admission to the tournament is free and fans are welcome.
ETSU tied for 10th at Puerto Rico Classic
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Juniors Chris Hickman and Adrian Meronk both fired a 2-under-par 70 to help pace the 33rd-ranked ETSU men’s golf team in round two of the Puerto Rico Classic on Monday at the Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa’s River Course.
Hickman bounced back from a tough finish to Sunday’s opening round by carding two of his four birdies on the final two holes en route to moving into a tie for 18th at even-par 144. Meanwhile, Meronk got off to a fast start as he birdied three of his first five holes, while picking up his fourth and final birdie on his last hole of the round to move into a tie for 22nd. Overall, Meronk – the 12th-ranked player by Golfweek – is 1-over 145 for the tournament.
As a team, the Buccaneers are tied with Southern Conference partner UNCG for 10th at 16-over-par 592. ETSU registered a 5-over 293 on Monday.
Georgia continues to lead the tournament as the 40th-ranked Bulldogs posted a 7-under in round two and sits 15-under-par 561 after 36 holes of play. Georgia Tech jumped up the leaderboard as the fifth-ranked Yellow Jackets fired a 14-under-par and are five shots back of rival Georgia at 10-under 566.
Individually, three golfers are tied for lead as Georgia’s Lee McCoy and Sepp Straka, along with Clemson’s Miller Capps, are all at 5-under-par 139. A group of four golfers is one shot back at 4-under.
After leading the Bucs in Sunday’s opening round, sophomore Mateusz Gradecki moved into a tie for 39th, while Gudmundur Kristjansson is tied for 59th.
The final round is slated to start Tuesday at 8 a.m. ETSU will be grouped with Minnesota and UNCG.
UNCG remains 10th at Puerto Rico Classic
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – The UNCG men’s golf team maintained its 10th-place standing at the prestigious Puerto Rico Classic after posting a 6-over-par 294 Monday in round two at the Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa. The Spartans will tee off in the third and final round Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET) with a shotgun start on holes Nos. 12-15 with Minnesota and ETSU.
The 56th-ranked Spartans are tied with Southern Conference foe ETSU for 10th place overall with a 16-over 592 (298-294) after two rounds of play.
Junior Taylor Coalson continued his strong play in Puerto Rico as he carded his second straight even-par 72. Coalson is tied for 10th overall individually at even-par 144 as he has posted 28 pars in two rounds to go along with four birdies and four bogeys. He closed out his round with back-to-back birdies to reach even-par on holes Nos. 10 and 11.
Freshman Josh Stockwell also kept his consistent play going Monday as he carded a 1-over par 73. Stockwell is tied for 29th overall with a 3-over par 147 (74-73) as he has notched 30 par scores in 36 holes of play to go along with four birdies, including two Monday on holes Nos. 4 and 13.
Sophomore Jake McGlone also carded a strong round Monday as he rebounded from a tough first round to post an even-par 72 in round two. McGlone tallied four birdies on the day with holes Nos. 2, 9, 13 and 15 to go along with 10 pars. He is tied for 50th overall with an 8-over par 152 (80-72).
Senior Roy Dixon is tied for 53rd place overall with a 9-over-par 153. Dixon opened with a 4-over-par 76 in round one before answering with a 5-over-par 77 Monday with three birdies. Junior Luke Haithcock rounds out the Spartans’ lineup in 59th place with a 10-over-par 154 after carding scores of 76 and 78 in the first two rounds.