NCAA South/Southeast Super Regional Second-Round Results
CONOVER, N.C. – Following the completion of Monday's first round, Eckerd Head Coach
Bill Buttner foreshadowed a breakthrough would be in store for
Jeff Evanier if a few more putts went his way.
His insight was right on track.
The sophomore Evanier made a total of seven birdies to blister the Jones Course for a 68 (-4) and currently leads the field at 6-under par through two rounds of the NCAA South/Southeaster Super Regional hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne University on Tuesday.
The Tritons (295-295--590) are tied for seventh in the 20-team field, just six shots out of a targeted top-five finish in order to advance to the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky. Three teams are tied for third with a two-round score of 584 while Georgia College & State emerged as the frontrunner in the team standings by one stroke.
Coming into today already positioned well in a tie for third individually, Evanier needed just 30 putts to complete his second round and continued to conquer the long par 5's, making him a combined 6-for-6 so far at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa venue.
He tied his season-best round of 68 that was registered in the first event of the fall, a medalist effort at the Jay Jennison Memorial. Evanier was also under par on Monday, finishing with an impressive 70 (-2).
After making bogey on two of his first three holes to start the morning, Evanier put his start in the rearview mirror, storming back to birdie three of four holes in a torrid stretch on the front nine and posted four more birdies on the back.
“Jeff was unbelievable,” Buttner praised. “He was on the attack all day. He didn't even know it was raining out there because he was just firing at the flag and making putts. It was fun to watch.”
The Tritons matched their first-round team total with a 295, battling inclement weather conditions with heavy showers throughout the morning after teeing off bright and early at 7:30 a.m.
Among the wave of the first six teams to march off the course, the Tritons could only sit back and watch as the rest of the afternoon unfolded. Eckerd was tied for 15th after finishing, but moved up as the rest of the teams turned in their scorecards.
“We had morning showers that turned into a downpour combined with a breeze,” Buttner summed up. “The greens slowed up and that was a challenge because we had a little trouble making putts. But credit goes to the guys for gutting it out.”
“All the teams left can post really good numbers,” Buttner said in the early afternoon.” I wouldn't be surprised if even par was leading after today.”
Curtis Lahey continued to respond to Buttner's call for senior leadership, finishing the day with a 75 (+3). Lahey started his morning with a string of 12 consecutive pars before scattering a trio of bogeys down the stretch.
Lahey's two-round total of 149 currently has him tied for 39th overall.
Senior
Callum Georgallides bounced back with a three-stroke margin of improvement from his opening round, carding a 74 with the team's second-best score on the day. His two-round cumulative score of 151 is tied for 60th.
Greg Reilly is just one shot back locked in 68th after recording a second-round score of 78 and
Paul Henderson posted an 83.
The top five teams after the completion of tomorrow's final round will advance to Louisville, Ky., later this month along with the top two individuals from non-qualifying schools. Live scoring can be followed throughout the day at
www.golfstat.com.
