Eagles Four Back Heading Into Final Round of SoCon Championships
4/20/2009 10:12:00 PM | Men's Golf
CLINTON, S.C. ? The Georgia Southern men's golf team stands four strokes out of first place heading into the final round of the Southern Conference Men's Golf Championships. The Eagles shot a 292 (+4) for the second round of competition Monday (April 20) at the Country Club of South Carolina, a par 72, 7,062-yard course. After shooting even par in the second round, Drew Lethem remains in first place on the individual leaderboard, holding a two stroke advantage over a group of four players in second place.
After a first round revision, Georgia Southern entered the second round with a one stroke advantage in first place. The team played steady on the front nine but struggled on the final nine holes in the windy conditions. “We were playing good and solid,” said head coach Larry Mays. “The last five holes, we shot 5-over and Chattanooga played them 1-under. That was the difference in the day. We didn't finish strong.”
Georgia Southern, with a two round total 570 (-6), stands four back of first place Chattanooga which shot a 1-under 287 on the day, and two strokes ahead of third place Furman. Western Carolina fell to a fourth place standing after a third round 5-over 293, while Elon rounds out the top five at 592 (+16).
Senior Lethem continues to lead the Eagles after a level-par second round 72. The Camdenton, Missouri native was 1-under heading to hole 4 where a bogey put him even. Back-to-back birdies on eight and nine put Lethem at 2-under turning to the back nine where three bogeys and a birdie on 12 put him at 2-over and even for the day. Combined with a first round 66, Lethem's two-day total of 138 (-6) puts the Eagle atop the standings.
Lethem leads Chattanooga's Derek Rende, Furman's Matt Brome, Western Carolina's Tanner Briele and UNCG's Will Bowman, who are all tied for second at 4-under, by two strokes. Bowman shot the lowest round of the day at 68 propelled by a front nine 5-under par 31.
Sophomore Logan Blondell jumped from a tie for ninth place to a three-way tie for sixth after a second round 2-under par 70, shaving off one stroke from his opening round 71, giving the Eagle a 141 (-3) total. Blondell combined a 2-under front half with an even back nine for a 2-under par tally, marking the only below-par round by an Eagle in round two. The Lakeland, Fla. native scattered four birdies, two on each half, with two bogeys to card his sub-par round.
“Logan played solid today and Drew hung in there leading the individuals,” stated Mays.
After a below-par opening round, junior Spencer Fulford (Rocky Mount, N.C.) recorded a 4-over par 76 in the second round for a two-day total 146 (+2), placing him in a tie for 14th place with Michael Saari of Davidson. The Eagle shot three bogeys and one birdie on both the front and back nine for his 76.
In an eight-way tie after day two, senior Ryan LeFevre jumped two spots on the leaderboard to stand in 16th place. LeFevre (Boca Raton, Fla.) carded an even front nine after opening with a birdie on hole one, but consecutive bogeys on 15 and 16 put him at two-over for the day.
Sophomore Joe Monte slipped on the leaderboard after round two, posting a 77. Monte stands in a tie for 24th going in to the final round after an opening round 1-under 71.
“Tomorrow we just have to go out and play well. We put ourselves in striking distance, but we have to play a good round if we want to win. Chattanooga's not going to hand it to us, we have to play well.”
The final round of competition begins Tuesday at 8 a.m. Georgia Southern tees off on hole No.1 at 8:40 a.m. and will be paired with Chattanooga and Furman.
Fans can follow the final round live at www.Golfstat.com.
TEAM (Round 2)
1. Chattanooga 279-287 ? 566 (-10)
2. Georgia Southern 278-292 ? 570 (-6)
3. Furman 286-286 ? 572 (-4)
4. Western Carolina 286-293 ? 579 (+3)
5. Elon 295-297 ? 592 (+16)
6. Wofford 306-287 ? 593 (+17)
7. UNC Greensboro 293-301 ? 594 (+18)
8. Davidson 299-296 ? 595 (+19)
9. College of Charleston 292-303 ? 596 (+20)
10. Samford 302-302 ? 604 (+28)
11. Appalachian State 300-311 ? 611 (+35)
GEORGIA SOUTHERN (Round 2)
1. Drew Lethem 66-72 ? 138
T6. Logan Blondell 71-70 ? 141
T14. Spencer Fulford 70-76 -- 146
T16. Ryan LeFevre 73-74 -- 147
T24. Joe Monte 71-77 -- 148
