MORGANTON, N.C. – After matching the third-lowest 36-hole score in program history, the Anderson University men's golf team finds itself in third place, Monday following the first two rounds of Lenoir-Rhyne's Donald Ross Intercollegiate.
The Bears are hosting the two-day, 54-hole tournament on a par-70, 6,718-yard Mimosa Hills Country Club layout.
"The guys played really well at times, but too much inconsistency held us back from leading the tournament," said Anderson Director of Golf Danny Neal. "We made too many big numbers to be where we want to be. Calahan (Keever) played very well shooting back-to-back subpar rounds. And the rest of the team hung in there and played some gritty golf to help the effort. All that being said, we are in third place with an opportunity to move up tomorrow. Our plan will be to try our best to do that."
The host Bears lead the chase for the team title by four strokes over second-place Belmont Abbey and by six shots over the Trojans. Mount Olive is one shot further back in fourth place, with Coker and Erskine deadlocked in a tie for fifth place. Wingate holds the seventh slot, with Catawba in eighth place.
King is in ninth place, with Lenoir-Rhyne (B) in the 10th spot. Glenville State and Fayetteville State are tied for 11th place, with Sandhills Community College, Emmanuel, Chowan, Mars Hill, Johnson and Wales and Pfeiffer rounding out the 18-team field.
Mount Olive's Brice Ballin fired a two-round, 5-under-par 135 and leads Lenoir-Rhyne's Liam Waldrin by a single stroke heading into Tuesday's final round. AU sophomore Calahan Keever (68-69=137) carded the second-lowest 36-hole score in school history and is in third place, just two shots off the pace set by Ballin.
Belmont Abbey's Jack Warren and King's Samuel Trueba are two strokes further back in a tie for fourth place.
Junior Caleb Henson is tied for ninth place after firing a 2-over-par 142 for his best two-round score of the season, with his second-round 70 marking his lowest round of the year. Junior Reece Coleman (71-73=144) shares 20th place, while sophomore Daniel Coker is tied for 33rd place after carding a two-round 146. Freshman Simon Wright (76-75=151) rounded out the Trojan contingent in a tie for 55th place.
The final round is slated to get underway, Tuesday morning.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans' 36-hole total 569 tied the third-best score in school history.
• AU's second-round 283 matched the seventh-lowest round in school history and marked the second-best round of the season.
• The Trojans' first-round 286 was their third-best round of the season and matched the 11th lowest score in program history.
• Reece Coleman's first-round 1-over 71 was his best of the season.
• Calahan Keever's first round 2-under 68 was his best of the season and matched the 15th best round in program history.
• Keever's 137 matched the second best 36-hole total in school history
• Caleb Henson's first round 2-over 72 matched his previous best round of season, while his second-round 70 marked his lowest round of the season.
3 Anderson 286 283 569
3 Calahan Keever 68 69 137
T9 Caleb Henson 72 70 142
T20 Reece Coleman 71 73 144
T33 Daniel Coker 75 71 146
T55 Simon Wright 76 75 151
Team Scores
1 Lenoir-Rhyne 284 279 563 +3
2 Belmont Abbey 285 282 567 +7
3 Anderson 286 283 569 +9
4 Mount Olive 291 279 570 +10
T5 Coker 295 278 573 +13
T5 Erskine 292 281 573 +13
7 Wingate 289 286 575 +15
8 Catawba 287 290 577 +17
9 King 292 289 581 +21
10 Lenoir-Rhyne (B) 300 295 595 +35
T11 Glenville State 300 296 596 +36
T11 Fayetteville State 293 303 596 +36
T13 Sandhills 308 294 602 +42
T13 Emmanuel 303 299 602 +42
15 Chowan 313 303 616 +56
16 Mars Hill 319 311 630 +70
17 Johnson & Wales 331 321 652 +92
18 Pfeiffer 339 333 672 +112
