Alabama
NCAA Championships
Men's Golf Fifth After 4-over 292 in Second Round of NCAA Championships
6/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
June 1, 2011
STILLWATER, Okla. - The third-seeded Alabama men's golf team shot a 4-over-par 292 in the second round of the NCAA Championship on Wednesday at the par-72, 7,416-yard Karsten Creek Golf Club.
The Crimson Tide is in fifth place at 4-over-par 580 after 36 holes of stroke play. The top eight teams after Thursday's third round will advance on to match play beginning Friday. UA is 10 strokes clear of Ohio State and Texas A&M who are tied for eighth.
"I don't think we had our best today," Alabama head coach Jay Seawell said following Wednesday's round. "To get out of here at 4-over is not bad on a day when you don't have your best. We made a lot of bogeys today, which means we are just a little bit off. We didn't putt it like we would have wanted to, and our ball striking wasn't the best."
Georgia Tech will go into the final round of stroke play with the lead at 3-under-par 573 with UCLA one-shot back at 574. Illinois is in third at 2-over 578. Georgia is in fourth, one shot ahead of the Tide. Host and top-ranked Oklahoma State is six, five shots back of Alabama while defending champion Augusta State is in seventh.
True freshman Cory Whitsett led the Crimson Tide in round two with a 1-under-par 71. He recorded birdies on three of his final four holes to move into a tie for 14th at even-par 144.
"It was a wild round," Whitsett said walking off the 18th green. "I hit it great the first eight holes and then started hitting it all over the place for five holes, and I wasn't making any putts, which usually isn't a good combination. I finally made a couple of putts on the 15th and 16th and then the birdie on 18 was a good way to finish."
Junior Bud Cauley carded a 1-over-par 73 on Wednesday with a bogey on the challenging 17th hole. He followed with an impressive par on the 18th that included a winding 100-foot putt from the back of the green over a mound and down the hill to within three feet. Cauley enters round three at 1-under-par 143, four shots off the lead of John Peterson of LSU, who shot a course-record 65 on Wednesday.
Whitsett and Cauley combined to shoot 4-under par over the final five holes with Cauley recording birdies on No. 14 and No. 16 while Whitsett birdied the 15th, 16th and 18th.
"I was proud of how he finished with three birdies in his last four holes, which is great. I thought we closed well as a team. Bud (Cauley) had a couple of birdies coming in and Cory had three. Cory really led us today. It didn't seem like we had anyone under par all day long, so for him to get all the way back under par really helped."
Hunter Hamrick and Bobby Wyatt both recorded 2-over-par 74s in the second round to count towards the Tide's 4-over-par total. Hamrick is 1-over 145 for the tournament and tied for 21st. Wyatt is 4-over 148 and tied for 46th. Freshman Trey Mullinax was the Tide's drop score on Wednesday at 7-over 79 and is tied for 146th position.
Alabama Quotes Following Round Two
Head Coach Jay Seawell
On his team's round:
"I don't think we had our best today. To get out of here at 4-over is not bad on a day when you don't have your best. We made a lot of bogeys today, which means we are just a little bit off. We didn't putt it like we would have wanted to, and our ball striking wasn't the best."
On what needs to be done heading into the third round:
"We just need to come out and play great. It is the national championship and the last stroke-play round of the year and we need to have a great round to solidify our chances of playing in the match play that begins on Friday."
On the play of Cory Whitsett in the second round:
"I was proud of how he finished with three birdies in his last four holes, which is great. I thought we closed well as a team. Bud (Cauley) had a couple of birdies coming in and Cory had three. Cory really led us today. It didn't seem like we had anyone under par all day long, so for him to get all the way back under par really helped."
Alabama Freshman Cory Whitsett
On his round and where his team stands after two rounds:
"It was a wild round. I hit it great the first eight holes and then started hitting it all over the place for five holes, and I wasn't making any putts, which usually isn't a good combination. I finally made a couple of putts on the 15th and 16th and then the birdie on 18 was a good way to finish."
On where the team stands after two rounds:
"We are fine where we are right now, we just have to have a good day tomorrow. The golf course is going to get harder for the second flight this afternoon and the wind will probably blow a little more, so I think we are in a pretty good spot."
