Alabama
SEC Championships
Alabama Shoots the Best Round of Day Two to Vault up Leaderboard into First Place at 2021 SEC Men’s Golf Championships
4/22/2021 2:25:00 PM | Men's Golf
The Crimson Tide cards a 3-under par 277 to jump six spots into first overall entering Friday’s final round of stroke play
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The Alabama men's golf team carded the lowest round of the day and was the only team to shoot under par during the second round of the 2021 Southeastern Conference Men's Golf Championships on Thursday. The Crimson Tide carded a team score of 3-under par 277 – seven strokes better than the next best team score – and moved into first overall with a 36-hole total of 1-over par 561 (284-277).
The Crimson Tide, which entered the event ranked No. 37 in this week's Golfstat.com's team rankings, owns a three-shot lead over No. 22 Arkansas (564) heading into the final 18 holes of stroke play. Tenth-ranked Georgia and No. 23 LSU are tied for third at 5-over 565, with No. 14 Auburn rounding out the top five with a 567.
Teams have now completed 36 of the 54 holes of stroke play at the annual event, which is being held on the par-70, 7,005-yard Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course. After the 54 holes of stroke play conclude, the top eight teams will advance to match play. The quarterfinal and semifinal matches will take place on Saturday, while the championship match will be held Sunday.
Head Coach Jay Seawell's Comments
"What a great round but what I am most proud of is how we played the back nine. It was a tough day out there. The wind was blowing continuously, and it was just a cold day. It was a tough start for all of the teams, including us. Our guys managed to just stay the course and not get too high or low. As a coach, that's what I am most proud of. They were prepared for anything and knew it was going to be a grind with the conditions. For them to not make a single bogey on the back nine is a credit to their mindset and attitude. We talked about not getting too emotional today. They took the attitude of knowing what it was going to take to accomplish what was needed and they went out there and did a great job."
Round One Highlights
- After a bogey on the par 4 fifth hole, Thomas Ponder finished his round with four birdies and no bogeys to result in a 3-under 67 on Thursday
- Ponder moved up into a fourth-place tie with a 36-hole total of 2-under par 138 (71-67)
- He is three strokes back of Georgia's Spencer Ralston (135) for medalist honors and one of just eight total players who are under par after 36 holes played
- Davis Shore, who is playing his first competitive round since an injury sidelined him on Feb. 27 in the second round of the LSU Invitational, joins Ponder among the eight individuals under par with a 1-under par 139
- After carding an even par 70 on Wednesday, Shore finished with a 1-under 69 on Thursday and will enter round three in a tie for seventh overall
- He is one of only three golfers in the field to not have a round over par (Ralston and Vanderbilt's Cole Sherwood)
Other Performers
- JP Cave gives Alabama three golfers among the top 15 as he is in a tie for 15th overall with a 2-over par 142 (70-72)
- Wilson Furr (73-71) and Canon Claycomb (74-70) are both tied for 27th with identical scores of 4-over 144
Fun Fact
- The five Alabama golfers combined for just one bogey across its final 13 holes of the day, combining to account for a team score of 8-under par by collecting nine birdies compared to just the single bogey
Next Round
- Alabama will tee off Thursday's second round at 8:10 a.m. CT (9:10 a.m. ET) and will be paired with Arkansas and Georgia
- Live scoring throughout the championships can be found at www.Golfstat.com
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaMGolf, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
