Gators move up two places in second round

OOLTEWAH, Tenn. – The Florida Gators had two goals coming into the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships this week at The Honors Course, the Pete Dye design in the hill country outside of Chattanooga.

Today, they will attempt to fulfill their first goal – to finish among the top eight teams after the third round – because if they don’t, the Gators won’t have a chance to fulfill the second goal: their fifth national championship and the third under the direction of their long-time coach Buddy Alexander.

The Gators put themselves into good position to finish off their first goal successfully, totaling a 1-over-par 289 that moved them up two spots to fifth place during the second round that was suspended by darkness Wednesday night.

After two tours of the par-72, 7,395-yard rolling course, Florida had a two-day total of even-par 576. Florida State posted a 9-under-par 279 second-round score and was at 562, 14 shots ahead of Florida and five shots up on second-place Oklahoma State. Georgia Tech was at 572, three shots up on Augusta State and four strokes better than Florida and San Diego. A shot behind the Gators are Washington and Clemson at 577.

The top 8 teams after the third round will be paired off for match-play competition Friday (quarterfinals), Saturday (semifinals) and Sunday (championship) to determine the NCAA team champ.

“Today was fine (but) I think we can play better,” Alexander said. “The golf course is playing easier than expected based on the scores when the tournament was held here in 1996. The greens are soft and not particularly fast. The most important thing for the team to realize is that this is a very scoreable course. There is almost zero wind, which makes for optimal scoring conditions.”

And those conditions may have gotten a little more optimal thanks to an almost 2¼-hour weather delay in the middle of the round Wednesday afternoon. The Seminoles, Cowboys and Gators all teed off in the morning Wednesday and avoided the long delay and darkness that eventually left nine of the 30 teams competing still on course when the second round was suspended at 8:45 p.m. Those golfers were to return to finish their rounds this morning at 7. The third round was to begin at 9.

Wednesday, it was redshirt junior Andres Echavarria who led the way for Florida. Echavarria made enough birdies – seven to be exact, including five on the front nine at Nos. 2, 4, 6, 7 and 9. But he had a double bogey 5 at the par-3 eighth hole and then made three bogeys against two birdies to finish at 2-under 70 for the day and at 1-under 143 with his teammate, Phillip Choi.

“It was a weird round,” Echavarria said. “If they had told me I would shoot 2-under at the beginning of the day, then I would definitely take it. I know the course better. I do feel good going into tomorrow and I think the team is going to be in good shape to make the top eight. We obviously need a good round, but I think we are definitely capable of it.”

Choi, who led the Gators in the opening round with a 3-under-par 69, had a pair of birdies but also a pair of double bogeys – at Nos. 4 and 16 – to shoot 74.

Seniors Tyson Alexander and Tim McKenney both finished the second round at 1-over-par 145. Alexander shot an even-par 72, making four birdies and four bogeys. McKenney also had four birdies, two of them in a front-side 34. But he gave both strokes back with a double bogey at No. 10. He then finished with three bogeys and two birdies over his final eight holes.

Junior Bank Vongvanij started well enough with a birdie on his first hole, but then he got on the bogey train, making three on his last eight holes on the front and another three holes on the back for a 5-over-par 77 for a 6-over 150 total.

San Diego’s Alex Ching had the day’s best round – a 6-under-par 66 that tied the course record. His round featured eight birdies (in two days, he has made 12), including five on his first nine holes starting at No. 12. He got it to 7-under after birdies on the first two holes but a double bogey on the 220-yard par-3 third hole clipped his momentum. The 66 left him at 9-under 135, two shots ahead of Augusta State’s Henrik Norlander (69), Oklahoma State’s Peter Uihlein (68) and Illinois’ Scott Langley, who was 5-under with a hole to play this morning.

Florida State had all five golfers break par in the second round, led by Michael Herbert’s 4-under 68, and threw out a 71 (Brooks Koepka and Wesley Graham each had one) to fashion its 9-under-par 279. Seath Lauer shot 70 for 139, one shot ahead of Drew Kittleson (70). Herbert was at 141, Koepka at 142 and Graham at 147.

NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

THE HONORS COURSE (7,395 yards, par 72) / Ooltewah, Tenn. / Host: University of Tennessee, Chattanooga / Wednesday-Thursday, June 2-3, 2010 / Second round was suspended Wednesday night at 8:45 p.m. and completed Thursday morning at 9 a.m.

TEAM RESULTS

1. (11) FLORIDA STATE 562 (283-279) (-14)

Drew Kittleson 140 (70-70) (-4); Wesley Graham 147 (76-71) (+3); Brooks Koepka 142 (71-71) (-2); Seath Lauer 139 (69-70) (-5); Michael Hebert 141 (73-68) (-3).

2. (4) OKLAHOMA STATE 567 (283-284) (-9)

Kevin Tway 145 (74-71) (+1); Peter Uihlein 137 (69-68) (-7); Morgan Hoffmann 140 (70-70) (-4); Trent Whitekiller 146 (70-76) (+2); Sean Einhaus 150 (75-75) (+6).

3. (15) GEORGIA TECH 572 (290-282) (-4)

John Tyler Griffin 143 (71-72) (-1); Chesson Hadley 144 (72-72) (E); James White 149 (77-72) (+5); Kyle Scott 147 (78-69) (+3); Paul Haley 139 (70-69) (-5).

4. (9) AUGUSTA STATE 575 (287-288) (-1)

Mitch Krywulycz 146 (72-73) (+2); Taylor Floyd 143 (73-70) (-1); Carter Newman 160 (77-83) (+16); Patrick Reed 149 (74-75) (+5); Henrik Norlander 137 (68-69) (-7).

T5. (13) FLORIDA 576 (287-289) (E)

Tyson Alexander 145 (73-72) (+1); Tim McKenney 145 (72-73) (+1); Bank Vongvanij 150 (73-77) (+6); Andres Echavarria 143 (73-70) (-1); Phillip Choi 143 (69-74) (-1).

T5. (25) SAN DIEGO 576 (294-282) (E)

Gunner Wiebe 143 (75-68) (-1); Alex Ching 135 (69-66) (-9); Kenneth McCready 153 (74-79) (+9); Jason Shano 149 (76-73) (+5); Scott Brace 154 (79-75) (+10).

T7. (5) WASHINGTON 577 (289-288) (+1)

Nick Taylor 146 (73-73) (+2); Richard Lee 147 (70-77) (+3); Chris Williams 143 (72-71) (-1); Darren Wallace 145 (75-70) (+1); Charlie Hughes 148 (74-74) (+4).

T7. (14) CLEMSON 577 (286-291) (+1)

Ben Martin 142 (70-72) (-2); Luke Hopkins 143 (69-74) (-1); Jacob Burger 150 (73-77) (+6); Crawford Reeves 157 (84-73) (+13); Corbin Mills 146 (74-72) (+2).

T9. (1) OREGON 578 (284-294) (+2)

Daniel Miernicki 150 (70-80) (+6); Eugene Wong 141 (69-72) (-3); Jack Dukeminier 150 (74-76) (+6); Isaiah Telles 146 (71-75) (+2); Andrew Vijarro 147 (76-71) (+3).

T9. (16) ARIZONA STATE 578 (286-292) (+2)

Jesper Kennegard 145 (68-77) (+1); Scott Pinckney 144 (74-70) (E); Knut Borsheim 147 (70-77) (+3); Braxton Marquez 153 (81-72) (+9); James Byrne 147 (74-73) (+3).

T11. (19) VIRGINIA 580 (300-280) (+4)

Ben Kohles 147 (72-75) (+3); Will Collins 144 (74-70) (E); Amory Davis 159 (80-79) (+15); Henry Smart 148 (82-66) (+4); Kyle Stough 143 (74-69) (-1).

T11. (2) STANFORD 580 (292-288) (+4)

David Chung 153 (78-75) (+9); Steve Ziegler 143 (72-71) (-1); Sihwan Kim 142 (71-71) (-2); Andrew Yun 147 (74-73) (+3); Joseph Bramlett 148 (75-73) (+4).

T11. (6) UCLA 580 (294-286) (+4)

Gregor Main 140 (71-69) (-4); Pontus Widegren 140 (69-71) (-4); Alex Kim 149 (76-73) (+5); Pedro Figueiredo 151 (78-73) (+7); Mario Clemens 161 (80-81) (+17).

T14. (22) NORTH FLORIDA 585 (292-293) (+9)

Sean Dale 146 (72-74) (+2); Kevin Phelan 143 (72-71); J.C. Horne 147 (73-74) (+3); Joe Byun 151 (75-76) (+7); Jordan Gibb 157 (83-74) (+13).

T14. (8) SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 585 (295-290) (+7)

T.J. Vogel 146 (74-72) (+2); Matthew Giles 148 (73-75) (+4); Steve Lim 146 (74-72) (+2); Martin Trainer 146 (75-71) (+2); Sam Smith 149 (74-75) (+5).

T14. (42) KENT STATE 585 (292-293) (+9)

John Hahn 142 (72-70) (-2); Brett Cairns 156 (78-78) (+12); Mackenzie Hughes 144 (74-70) (E); Kevin Miller 145 (70-75) (+1); Isaac Charette 155 (76-79) (+11).

T17. (7) TEXAS 586 (290-296) (+10)

Cody Gribble 151 (75-76) (+7); Lance Lopez 144 (69-75) (E); Bobby Hudson 144 (74-70) (E); Dylan Frittelli 147 (72-75) (+3); Charlie Holland 155 (75-80) (+11).

T17. (12) UNLV 586 (294-292) (+10)

Derek Ernst 143 (72-71) (-1); Eddie Olson 149 (74-75) (+5); Colby Smith 152 (72-80) (+8); Brett Kanda 150 (76-74) (+6); Kevin Penner 149 (77-72) (+5).

T19. (29) CALIFORNIA 587 (293-294) (+11)

Michael Weaver 148 (75-73) (+4); Brandon Hagy 149 (72-77) (+5); Stephen Hale 151 (74-77) (+7); Max Homa 150 (79-71) (+6); Eric Mina 145 (72-73) (+1).

T19. (10) TEXAS TECH 587 (302-285) (+11)

Nils Floren 147 (75-72) (+3); Chris Ward 146 (75-71) (+2); Matt Smith 151 (80-71) (+7); Tyler Weworski 145 (74-71) (+1); Finley Ewing IV 156 (78-78) (+12).

21. (21) OREGON STATE 588 (295-293) (+12)

Diego Velasquez 143 (71-72) (-1); Mike Barry 150 (71-79) (+6); Morten Madsen 148 (77-71) (+4); Alex Moore 150 (79-71) (+6); Nick Sherwood 156 (76-80) (+12).

T22. (47) BAYLOR 589 (294-295) (+13)

Joakim Mikkelsen 153 (74-79) (+9); Payne Gniewek 150 (75-75) (+6); Lorenzo Scotto 145 (76-69) (+1); Ryan O’Rear 146 (69-77) (+2); Cody Paladino 150 (76-74) (+6).

T22. (20) ILLINOIS 589 (304-285) (+13)

Scott Langley 138 (70-68) (-6); Luke Guthrie 151 (81-70) (+7); Zach Barlow 152 (77-75) (+8); Chris DeForest 148 (76-72) (+4); Matt Hoffman 162 (83-79) (+18).

T22. (3) TEXAS A&M 589 (285-304) (+13)

Andrea Pavan 147 (71-76) (+3); Jordan Russell 161 (79-82) (+17); Ignacio Elvira 145 (70-75) (+1); Cameron Peck 142 (70-72) (-2); Conrad Shindler 155 (74-81) (+11).

T22. (26) TENNESSEE 589 (297-292) (+13)

Robin Wingardh 146 (74-72) (+2); David Holmes 145 (72-73) (+1); Darren Renwick 159 (82-77) (+15); Garrick Porteous 143 (73-70) (-1); Jay Vandeventer 155 (78-77) (+11).

T26. (28) LOUISIANA STATE 593 (303-290) (+17)

Andrew Loupe 147 (75-72) (+3); Sang Yi 155 (78-77) (+11); Clayton Rotz 150 (77-73) (+6); Austin Gutgsell 157 (78-79) (+13); John Peterson 141 (73-68) (-3).

T26. (23) DUKE 593 (296-297) (+17)

Brinson Paolini 151 (76-75) (+7); Adam Long 148 (73-75) (+4); Wes Roach 142 (69-73) (-2); Julian Suri 156 (79-77) (+12); Spencer Anderson 150 (76-74) (+6).

28. GEORGIA SOUTHERN 596 (297-299) (+20)

Logan Blondell 147 (73-74) (+3); Florian Sander 156 (77-79) (+12); Spencer Fulford 145 (71-74) (+1); Ryan Zabroske 152 (76-76) (+8); Matt Deal 154 (79-75) (+10).

29. (24) TEXAS CHRISTIAN 598 (302-296) (+22)

Johan de Beer 147 (74-73) (+3); Travis Woolf 146 (76-70 (+2); Daniel Jennevret 156 (78-78) (+12); Pontus Gad 157 (80-77) (+13); Eli Cole 150 (74-76) (+6).

30. PENN STATE 599 (301-298) (+23)

Kevin Foley 155 (79-76) (+11); TJ Howe 150 (76-74) (+6); Tommy McDonagh 147 (71-76) (+3); Ernie Marin 149 (77-72) (+5); Jim Markovitz 156 (77-79) (+12).

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Russell Henley (Georgia) 144 (71-73) (E); Robbie Fillmore (Brigham Young) 145 (74-71) (+1); Rhys Enoch (East Tennessee State) 146 (72-74) (+2); Marshall Bailey (Virginia Tech) 149 (77-72) (+5); Nick Delio (Cal State Northridge) 153 (76-77) (+9); Espen Kofstad (Denver) 154 (76-78) (+10).

LEADERBOARD

Second round completed Thursday A.M.

1. 135 (-9): Alex Ching (San Diego) 69-66.

T2. 137 (-7): (46) Henrik Norlander (Augusta State) 68-69; (25) Peter Uihlein (Oklahoma State) 69-68.

4. 138 (-6): (23) Scott Langley (Illinois) 70-68.

T5. 139 (-5): Paul Haley (Georgia Tech) 70-69; Seath Lauer (Florida State) 69-70.

T7. 140 (-4): (21) Morgan Hoffmann (Oklahoma State) 70-70; Drew Kittleson (Florida State) 70-70; (37) Gregor Main (UCLA) 71-69; (76) Pontus Widegren (UCLA) 69-71.

T11. 141 (-3): Michael Hebert (Florida State) 73-68; (10) Eugene Wong (Oregon) 69-72; John Peterson (Louisiana State) 73-68.

T14. 142 (-2): John Hahn (Kent State) 72-70; (92) Sihwan Kim (Stanford) 71-71; (40) Brooks Koepka (Florida State) 71-71; (79) Ben Martin (Clemson) 70-72; (39) Cameron Peck (Texas A&M) 70-72; Wes Roach (Duke) 69-73.

T20. 143 (-1): Phillip Choi (Florida) 69-74; Andres Echavarria (Florida) 73-70; (38) Derek Ernst (UNLV) 72-71; Taylor Floyd (Augusta State) 73-70; (31) John Tyler Griffin (Georgia Tech) 71-72; (54) Luke Hopkins (Clemson) 69-74; Garrick Porteous (Tennessee) 73-70; Kyle Stough (Virginia) 74-69; (5) Diego Velasquez (Oregon State) 71-72; Gunner Wiebe (San Diego) 75-68; (42) Chris Williams (Washington) 72-71; (33) Steve Ziegler (Stanford) 72-71; (74) Kevin Phelan (North Florida) 72-71.

T33. 144 (E): (86) Chesson Hadley (Georgia Tech) 72-72; (12) Russell Henley (Georgia) 71-73; (20) Bobby Hudson 74-70; Mackenzie Hughes (Kent State) 74-70; Lance Lopez (Texas) 69-75; (55) Scott Pinckney (Arizona State) 74-70; Will Collins (Virginia) 74-70.

T40. 145 (+1): (30) Tyson Alexander (Florida) 73-72; Ignacio Elvira (Texas A&M) 70-75; (32) Jesper Kennegard (Arizona State) 68-77; (88) Tim McKenney (Florida) 72-73; Kevin Miller (Kent State) 70-75; (65) Eric Mina (California) 72-73; (26) Kevin Tway (Oklahoma State) 74-71; Darren Wallace (Washington) 75-70; Tyler Weworski (Texas Tech) 74-71; (73) Robbie Fillmore (Brigham Young) 74-71; Spencer Fulford (Georgia Southern) 71-74; David Holmes (Tennessee) 72-73; Lorenzo Scotto (Baylor) 76-69.