Note: This recap will be updated following the afternoon wave of competition.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The No. 16 Virginia men’s golf team posted the second-best score of the 15 teams playing in the morning wave of teams during Saturday’s second round of the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. The Cavaliers shot 1-over 281 after a first-round score of 10-over 290.
Only third-ranked Illinois shot lower than UVA on Saturday morning, carding a score of 7-under 273. No. 4 Arizona State matched UVA’s second-round total of 281.
After two rounds, the Cavaliers had the fourth-best overall score for 15 teams playing in its wave.
“I felt like yesterday, we played fairly well in the afternoon which put us in a good position here today,” head coach Bowen Sargent said. “For both days we kind of did what we knew we needed to do. We hung in there yesterday and then today I felt like you could have broken par and we were certainly right there to do that.”
UVA was led by freshman Ben James who shot 2-under 68 and stands at 1-under 139 after 36 holes freshman Bryan Lee shot even par 70 and is second on the team at 2-over 142.
George Duangmanee rebounded from a first-round 77 to shoot 71 on Saturday. Pietro Bovari was UVA’s fourth counting score during the second round at 2-over 72. His 36-hole total stands at 147. Deven Patel posted a score of 73 and is third overall for UVA at 5-over 145.
“The guys are playing well top to bottom,” Sargent said. “We had all five guys kind of in it today. That’s what you need at this level. You can’t have people not be in mix. To commit to make that top eight, you’ve got to have five guys pulling on the same end of the rope.”
Following Sunday’s third round, the field is reduced to 15 teams for the final round of stroke play that determines the individual champion and the eight teams that will advance to the match play portion of the tournament.
Live scoring of the event is online at Golfstat.com.