HICKORY, N.C. – Behind its second straight 8-under 280 and with freshman Alejandro de Castro and senior Reece Coleman 1-2 in the individual standings, the Anderson men's golf team remains in first place following second-round action, Monday at the 2023 South Atlantic Conference Championship.
Lenoir-Rhyne is hosting the 54-hole, three-day tournament at the par-72, 6,605-yard Lake Hickory Country Club.
"I was really pleased with how our guys handled today!" said Anderson Director of Golf Danny Neal. "The wind was up - and combined with the tricky pin placements, the conditions were much more difficult than yesterday. And yet they managed to match yesterday's score of 280 to extend their lead. Dro and Reece played exceptionally well, placing them 1-2 individually going into tomorrow's final round. Cal shot a solid round of 71 and Daniel had a great comeback round of 73. Hopefully we can finish it off tomorrow with another SAC Championship!"
Anderson increased its lead over second-place Lenoir-Rhyne from six to 14 shots heading into Tuesday's final round, with Tusculum remaining in third place – eight shots further back. Carson-Newman moved up two spots into fourth, while Limestone held onto the fifth slot. Lincoln Memorial jumped up one spot into sixth, with Newberry holding the seventh spot. Coker slid from fourth to eighth, with Wingate and Catawba in ninth and 10th, respectively. UVA Wise and Mars Hill finished out the 12-team field.
De Castro is three shots in front of teammate Coleman, with junior Calahan Keever among a trio of golfers tied for third place - just five shots off the pace. Sophomore Simon Wright is tied for 38th place, while junior Daniel Coker jumped up 13 spots from Monday's opening round and shares 46th place.
Tuesday's final 18 holes are scheduled to get underway at 8:30 a.m., with the Trojans teeing off at 9:15 a.m.
Notables
• The Trojans' first- and second-round 280s marked a program-best for a conference tournament and matched the eighth-lowest round in program history.
• Alejandro de Castro's first-round 67 matched AU's second-best round in a conference tournament.
• Calahan Keever's opening-round 69 matched AU's fifth-lowest round in a conference tournament.
• Reece Coleman's first-round 70 matched AU's seventh-best round in a conference tournament.
• AU's highest finish since joining the SAC has been a fourth-place showing in 2012.
• Calahan Keever owns the school record for a SAC Tournament appearance with a 54-hole 209 last season.
• Former standout Jake Miller owns the second-best (AU) score for a SAC Tournament appearance with a 54-hole 212 in 2018.
• The event has produced six different champions over the past 11 seasons, with Queens winning the title for the second time in three years in 2022.
• No. 13 Lincoln Memorial is looking to claim its fifth overall championship and second in three seasons,
• Carson-Newman is also seeking its fifth SAC Championship and first since winning back-to-back conference crowns in 2017 and 2018.
• Newberry and Catawba have each taken home the hardware on three occasions, with the Wolves seeking their first title since 2011 and the Indians last winning the title in 1999.
• Presbyterian claimed the tourney championship a record seven times before moving to NCAA D-I status, while Elon won the event five times (1990-1994).
1 Anderson 280 280 560 -16
1 Alejandro de Castro 67 68 135 -9
2 Reece Coleman 70 68 138 -6
T 3 Calahan Keever 69 71 140 -4
T 38 Simon Wright 74 78 152 +8
T 46 Daniel Coker 87 73 160 +16
Teams Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Total To Par
1 Anderson 280 280 560 -16
2 Lenoir-Rhyne 286 288 574 -2
3 Tusculum 288 294 582 +6
4 Carson-Newman 296 289 585 +9
5 Limestone 294 292 586 +10
6 Lincoln Memorial 297 290 587 +11
7 Newberry 301 292 593 +17
8 Coker 293 301 594 +18
9 Wingate 301 301 602 +26
10 Catawba 304 311 615 +39
11 UVA Wise 328 324 652 +76
12 Mars Hill 328 338 666 +90
