Oregon men’s golf looked comfortable in the second round of the NCAA Championships.
The Concessions Club course in Brandeton, Florida gave the Ducks fits in the first round yesterday, but day two saw them improve by a combined six strokes. Most importantly, they moved up the leaderboard from 18th into a three-way tie with Texas and Virginia for 14th place.
Aaron Wise was, once again, the steadying force keeping the Ducks afloat. He shot a two-under 70 in round two, which included timely back-to-back birdies on holes 11 and 12. Wise is tied for 12th on the individual leaderboard through two rounds.
Zach Foushee also shot two-under 70 today, finding the consistency that evaded him during the latter part of yesterday. Foushee birdied on 3, 8, 12 and 16. He sits in a tie for 40th.
Jonathan Woo and Brandon McIver’s round two scores were identical to their round one scores, as they shot four-over 76 and six-over 78 respectively. McIver once again struggled on the 18th hole, going from a double bogey yesterday to a triple bogey today.
Thomas Lim had a much tougher time on day two, going from a two-over 74 to a seven-over 79 today. His day was marred by six bogeys and one double-bogey compared to just one birdie.
USC jumped two spots to the top of the leaderboard, while Illinois went down to second. Georgia and LSU are in a tie for third.
The Ducks are still on the outside looking in if they’re going to advance to match play, but there is still plenty of hope. Only five strokes separate Oregon from San Diego State and TCU, who are currently in a tie for eighth.
The third and final round will begin tomorrow morning. Tee time for the Ducks is to be determined.
Follow Will Denner on Twitter @Will_Denner