LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Oklahoma State shot 14 shots better than the other 14 schools competing Saturday in the Southern Highlands Collegiate. The Cowboys, ranked No. 3, shot 18-under-par 270 for a two-round total of 561, 12 shots better than host UNLV.
No. 11 Florida could do no better than 5-over-par 293 and was at 7-over 583, 22 shots behind the leaders. UNLV shot 288 for a two-day total of 573. Third is Arizona, which shot 289 and was at 576 and No. 4 Clemson was fourth after struggling to a 10-over 298 for a two-day total of 581.
The Gators were a shot ahead of sixth-place Georgia Tech, which shot 295. Top-ranked Georgia had the day’s second-best total of 284 and was seventh at 587, 26 behind the leaders.
Morgan Hoffmann of Oklahoma State fired a 10-under-par 62 to take over the individual lead at 10-under 134. Hoffman had eight birdies and an eagle at the par-4, 365-yard fifth hole on the par-72, 7,510-yard Southern Highlands course. Hoffman started the day tied for 13th place but leapfrogged all of the golfers, including first-round co-leaders Cameron Tringale of Georgia Tech, Southern California’s Matthew Giles, Clemson’s Ben Martin and UNLV’s Colby Smith.
Tringale had a 2-under 70 and was at 137, three shots behind Hoffmann. Giles shot 71 and was at 138, a stroke ahead of Martin, who shot 72, and two shots up on Smith, who shot 73.
Florida senior Billy Horschel, who opened with a 1-under-71 Friday, matched par 72 and was at 1-under 143, tying him for ninth place with four others, including a pair of Cowboys, Trent Leon and Bernhard Neumann, who each shot 3-under 69s.
Senior Will Strickler, who opened the tournament with a 2-under 70, shot 2-over 74 and was at even-par 144, tied for 14th place. Tim McKenney shot 72 for Florida and was tied for 24th at 147. Toby Ragland shot 75 and was at 152, tied for 51st place. Max Kieffer of Florida had a 79 and was at 153, tied for 57th place.
The tournament concludes Sunday.