Sept. 24, 2016
Scottsdale, Ariz. – Chris Petefish and Luke Schniederjans continued their hot hands Saturday, each firing 4-under-par 67s to help Georgia Tech’s 17th-ranked golf team move up to fifth place after 36 holes at the inaugural Maui Jim Invitational.
Pairings and live scoring via Golfstat
TECH LINEUP – Opening their second round on the 10th hole Saturday, Georgia Tech played the back nine steady at 1-under-par, then made hay on the front side, at one point getting to 11-under-par for the day before finishing with an 8-under-par total of 276.
Petefish, who shot 68 on Friday, added a career-low 67 Saturday that included three birdies and an eagle with one bogey. The junior from Danville, Calif., competing in the state where he played his high school golf, moved up into a tie for fourth place individually at 7-under-par 135.
Schniederjans, who won the Carpet Capital Collegiate two weeks ago, broke 70 for the fourth time in his first five collegiate rounds. The freshman from Powder Springs, Ga., recorded seven birdies (he has 12 over 36 holes) with a bogey and a double bogey on his card, moving up into a tie for eighth place (136, -6).
Tyler Joiner (sophomore, Leesburg, Ga.) shot 70, and James Clark (junior, Columbus, Ga.) added a 72 as the Yellow Jackets’ other two counting scores. Vincent Whaley (senior, McKinney, Texas) shot 73.
Freshman Andy Ogletree (Little Rock, Miss.), competing as an individual this weekend, added a 70 to his opening 69 and is tied for 17th place at 139 (-3).
TEAM LEADERBOARD – Eighth-ranked LSU used 65s from individual leader Luis Gagne and Eric Ricard Saturday to post a 13-under-par 271 and take the 36-hole lead. The Tigers have a two-round total of 541 (-27), two shots ahead of first-round leader Kent State, which shot 5-under-par 279 and completed 36 holes at 543 (-25). No. 28 Baylor (545, -23) and No. 20 South Carolina (549, -19), each with 8-under-par 276 rounds Saturday, stand in third and fourth, respectively.
Tech has a 36-hole total of 556 (-12) in fifth place, with Kansas (558, -10) two shots behind in sixth. Houston is the only other team under par in the 16-team field.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – LSU’s Gagne, with a pair of 65s this weekend so far, took sole possession of the lead at 12-under-par 130, two shots ahead of South Carolina’s Scott Stevens, who fired a 67 Saturday and is at 10-under-par 132. Baylor’s Brayden Bailey is in third place at 9-under-par 133.
Petefish is in a group of four players tied for fourth at 7-under-par 135, while Schniederjans is in a three-way for eighth at 6-under 136.
COACH Bruce Heppler SAYS – “Chris and Luke played tremendous rounds today and gave us a chance for a big day. We played the scoring holes much better today overall. We need to finish tomorrow on a positive note.”
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The Maui Jim Invitational concludes Sunday at Maribel Golf Club, a 7,147-yard, par 71 layout in Scottsdale, Ariz. It is the first time the event, hosted by Georgia State’s golf program, has been played. Final-round tee times will be set based on 36-hole team scores. The 16-team field includes No. 8 LSU and No. 20 South Carolina, both of whom advanced to the NCAA match play championship last spring, as well as top programs California and Houston.
