Sept. 19, 2014
Kingston Springs, Tenn. – Senior Drew Czuchry led a second-round scoring surge with a 5-under-par 66 Saturday afternoon, lifting the third-ranked Yellow Jackets to a 2-stroke lead after 36 holes at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Collegiate Challenge Cup.
Complete results and live scoring
All-American Ollie Schniederjans shot a 4-under-par 67, and sophomore Vincent Whaley added a 3-under 68 as Tech rolled through the 7,184-yard, par-72 Golf Club of Tennessee course for a 12-under-par 272 in the day’s second round. Freshman James Clark contributed the Jackets’ other counting score with an even-par 71.
Tech came from fifth place and 10 shots behind Vanderbilt after posting a 6-over-par 290 in the morning round, and finished 36 holes at 562 (-6). The sixth-ranked Commodores (280-284) have a two-round total of 564 (-4) and are the only other team under par headed into Saturday’s final round of stroke play. Eleventh-ranked Virginia is in third place at even-par 568, followed by No. 9 Georgia (572, +4), No. 7 South Carolina (573, +5) and No. 17 Clemson (574, +6).
Czuchry (Auburn, Ga.), enjoying a strong beginning to his senior year after playing in only four events previously, shot 71 in the morning and has a share of third place individually at 5-under-par 137. He made seven birdies against a double-bogey in his afternoon round. Czuchry is tied with Texas A&M’s Adria Arnaus and South Carolina’s Will Starke, three shots behind Carson Jacobs of Vanderbilt, who opened with a 64 Saturday and has a 36-hole total of 134 (-8). Georgia’s Lee McCoy holds solo second place at 6-under 136.
“Drew stayed very positive this afternoon after he got it to minus-4 and made a double on a par-5,” said Tech coach Bruce Heppler. “But he birdied three of his last four holes and showed some real attitude.”
Schniederjans rebounded from his opening 74 by making eight birdies in the afternoon to move into 12th place alone at 1-under-par 141, while Anders Albertson, on the strength of an opening 69, is tied for 13th place at even-par 142. Whaley, whose 68 included three birdies and no bogeys, is tied for 20th place at 144 (+2), while Clark (+5) is tied for 29th.
“I’m very pleased with how James and Vince responded this afternoon,” said Heppler. “This has been very much a total team effort with everyone doing their part. I’m looking forward to another learning experience tomorrow.”
Tech will be paired with Vanderbilt and Virginia for Saturday’s closing round of stroke play, beginning at 9:50 a.m. The Conference Challenge portion of the event will take place on Sunday, with teams from the ACC playing 18-hole matches against their similarly ranked opponent from the SEC. The conference that accumulates the most points on Sunday will be crowned the 2014 Collegiate Challenge Cup Champion.
DICK’S SPORTING GOODS COLLEGIATE CHALLENGE CUP
Golf Club of Tennessee, Kingston Springs, Tenn.
36-hole Results
TEAM STANDINGS – Georgia Tech 562 (-6), Vanderbilt 564 (-4), Virginia 568, Georgia 572, South Carolina 573, Clemson 574, Texas A&M 578, Louisville 582, Duke 583, Mississippi 585, NC State 594, Missouri 596
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS – Carson Jacobs, Vanderbilt, 134 (-8); Lee McCoy, Georgia, 136 (-6); Will Starke, South Carolina, 137 (-5); Adria Arnaus, Texas A&M, 137 (-5); Drew Czuchry, Georgia Tech, 137 (-5); Cody Proveaux, Clemson, 139 (-3); Robert Giebel, Louisville, 139 (-3); five tied at 140 (-2)
