ETSU slips to fourth at NCAA San Diego Regional
SAN DIEGO – Facing rainy conditions in San Diego, the ETSU men’s golf team moved from second to fourth, while junior Gudmundur Kristjansson continued to pace the 39th-ranked Buccaneers in Friday’s second round of the NCAA Regional from The Farms Golf Club.
The Buccaneers, who began the day five shots back of team-leading Oklahoma, posted a 6-over 294 on Friday and sit 7-over-par 583 for the tournament, while the 14th-ranked Sooners extended their lead to a commanding 22 strokes. Following its 4-under in Thursday’s opening round, Oklahoma went low again by registering a 13-under 275, moving its two-round total to 17-under-par 559.
Arizona State and Georgia Tech charged up the leaderboard as they are in second and third place, respectively. The third-ranked Sun Devils began the day in ninth but moved behind Oklahoma after firing a 7-under 281 and have a two-round total of 5-over-par 581. Meanwhile, the 10th-ranked Yellow Jackets are 6-over-par 582 following their 5-under 283 on Friday and No. 29 Georgia moved from 12th to fifth as the Bulldogs are 9-over-par 585. The Bulldogs carded 10-under 278 in the second round. Virginia, the 25th-ranked team in the country, is in sixth place at 11-over-par 587, while Idaho right behind at 12-over-par 588.
The top five teams following Saturday’s final round advance to the NCAA Championship, which is held May 29-June 3 at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
Kristjansson led the Blue and Gold for the second straight day as the ETSU junior recorded a 1-under 71 and enters the final round three shots back of the leader at 4-under-par 140. Kristjansson totaled two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine and was even-par before sinking his final birdie putt on the par-4, 472-yard 17th.
Arizona State’s No. 2-ranked Jon Rahm, fueled the Sun Devils’ run as the junior golfer moved from being tied for 13th into sole possession of first place after firing an 8-under 64 and is 7-under-par 137 for the tournament. Rahm takes a two-shot lead into the final round, as Oklahoma’s Michael Gellerman and Max McGreevy are both at 5-under-par 139.
Following a rough start in the opening round, senior Rhys Pugh bounced back with a 1-over 73, while junior Chris Hickman and sophomore Mateusz Gradecki’s both totaled a 3-over 75 on Friday. Pugh started the day birdieing three of his first four holes but combined to play Nos. 5 and 6 at 5-over before a birdie on the par-5, 489-yard No. 9 moved him to 1-over on the front nine. The Welshman got back to even-par following a birdie on the par-3, 141-yard No. 14, but walked away with a bogey on No. 15 to finish with his 73. Gradecki is tied for 34th (5-over-par 149) and Hickman is tied for 48th (7-over-par 151).
After beginning the day in the top five, junior Adrian Meronk moved into a tie for 28th at 4-over-par 148. Meronk finished with a 6-over 78 in round two.
The Bucs are paired with Georgia and Virginia in Saturday’s final round. The first group tees off at 11:20 a.m. (EDT).
Western Carolina’s Poston moves into lead at NCAA Chapel Hill Regional
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Carding his second consecutive round of 4-under-par 68, Western Carolina’s J.T. Poston moved atop the individual leaderboard on Friday after 36 holes at the NCAA Men’s Golf Chapel Hill Regional.
Poston, who matched his best career round in the NCAA postseason, carded five birdies in the second round at the par-72, 7,242-yard UNC Finley Golf Course, carrying a one-stroke lead over the nation’s top-rated golfer – Stanford’s Maverick McNealy – into Saturday’s final 18 holes.
Paired with Scott Cahill from Miami (Ohio) and individual competitor Ashton Van Horne of Belmont – currently Poston’s closest competition for the individual transfer spot into the championship round – Poston opens his final 18 holes on Saturday morning in the tournament’s final pairing. The threesome is slated to go off the back nine on No. 10 at 10:04 a.m.
Opening on the back nine, Poston carded seven consecutive pars before his first birdie on the par-5 17th moved him to 1-under-par, where he stood through the turn. The Hickory, N.C., product then birdied the first three holes of the front nine to move to 4-under-par. After a bogey on the par-3 fifth left him at 3-under, Poston quickly got back to 4-under by birdieing the par-5 sixth. Like Thursday, he closed his round with three consecutive pars to grab the individual lead.
Poston continues to lead the 75-golfer field in par-4 scoring at 5-under, 3.75. His 11 pars over the first 36 holes rank him tied for first overall.
With a two-day score of 136, Poston has carded the second-lowest 36-hole score for a Catamount men’s golfer in a NCAA regional, one stroke behind Matt Cook’s 135 (67-68) in the 2008 regional.
Behind McNealy’s 5-under-par round on Friday, 11th-ranked Stanford advanced 11 spots to take the team lead by a stroke over first-round leader Charlotte, 565-566. Top-ranked Florida State remains third, five strokes off the pace at 570, with No. 24 Kennesaw State and No. 37 Florida occupying the final two transfer spots in a tie for fourth at 573.
No. 36 Clemson and No. 19 North Carolina are just two strokes out of the final two transfer spots as the top five teams advance to the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship, May 29 through June 1 at The Concessions Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., hosted by the University of South Florida. In addition to those five squads, the top-finishing individual not on one of the qualifying teams – currently WCU’s Poston – will also earn a berth in the NCAA finals.
Mercer’s Rule moves up five spots at NCAA Chapel Hill Regional
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Mercer University senior Trey Rule climbed five spots on the individual leaderboard in the second round of the NCAA Regional at the University of North Carolina’s Finley Course.
Rule got off to a rough start with three straight bogeys to open the round but rebounded with a pair of birdies to close out the first nine. The senior carried that momentum to the final nine holes of action, carding a 1-under-par 35 to finish the day with a 1-over 73.
The Eatonton, Ga., native pushed his tournament total to 149, 5-over, moving up five places to 54th after two rounds of play.
Stanford leads the team standings, while Charlotte, Florida State, Kennesaw State and Florida round out the top five. Western Carolina’s J.T. Poston topped the field after Friday’s round, posting back-to-back scores of 68 for an 8-under total of 136.
The final round of the NCAA Chapel Regional will kick at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, as Rule is slated for a 9:20 a.m. tee time at UNC’s Finley Course.