In the second round at the Sheep Ranch Course at Bandon Dunes, Oregon strung together an 11- over 295 round, tying Utah Valley and SIU Edwardsville for the best round of the day.

The strong team performance from the Ducks resulted in them jumping No. 9 Kansas by one stroke. The Ducks will head into the final round leading the group at 15-over. With five teams five strokes or fewer behind them, the Ducks can expect a tight finish.

“Sheep Ranch is a major test right now,” head coach Casey Martin said. “Winds and tough greens are making the scoring difficult.”

After shooting a team worst 78 on Sunday, Craig Ronne exploded for a 2-under, 69 round, the best score of the second round.

Ronne’s round included three birdies, 14 pars and one bogey. His round helped catapult the Ducks into first place on a day where conditions made it difficult to score.

Ronne was one of four golfers on Monday to shoot under par and was the only Duck to best their first round score. He did it by nine strokes.

“We had a great round today from Craig,” Martin said.
The three other team-counting scores for the Ducks included Nate Stember’s 2-over, 73, Owen Avrit’s 5-over, 76 and Eric Doyle with a 6-over, 77. Avrit and Stember are tied for sixth in individual play.

Oregon’s Greyson Leach went for a 73,  which tied him for second in individual play, and Greg Solhaug put up a 74, which knotted him in a tie for fourth. 

Stember, Avrit, Leach and Solhaug are all within three shots of the leader in individual play, San Jose State’s Caleb Shetler, who is 1-under through two days.

In strong position heading into Tuesday’s final round, the Ducks will try to hold onto their one-stroke lead.