March 13, 2004
ATLANTA – Nicholas Thompson fired a five-under-par 67 Saturday, and No. 4 Georgia Tech shot a two-under-par team score of 286 to move up to eighth place after the second round of the Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship in Las Vegas.
The tournament, which is being played at Las Vegas’ luxurious Southern Highlands Golf Club (7,381 Yards, par 72), concluded with the final 18 holes Sunday. The 54-hole event carries a standard 4-of-5 scoring format, with 18 holes to be played each day. Eleven of the 15 teams are ranked among the nation’s top 20 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.
Tech’s 36-hole total of 577, one over par, is 21 shots off the pace of Arizona State, which blistered the Southern Highlands course for a 12-under-par 276 Saturday and assumed a three-shot lead over first-round leader Florida. Both teams pulled away from the field. The Gators shot seven-under-par 281 and is 12 strokes ahead of third-place Georgia (six-under-par 570). Clemson is another shot back at five-under-par 571.
Individually, Wake Forest’s Bill Haas took the top spot after shooting a five-under par 67. Haas is nine under for the tournament (135) and holds a one-stroke lead over Florida’s Camilo Villegas (69 – 136). Kevin Kisner of Georgia shot the day’s best round of 65 and is in a group of four players at seven-under 137.
Thompson, a junior from Coral Springs, Fla., moved up to a tie for 16th place at three-under-par 141. He is in a group of five golfers which also includes the Yellow Jackets’ Chan Wongluekiet, who posted a 73 Saturday.
Mike Barbosa (74) and Roberto Castro (72) are tied for 44th place at 149, while Kevin Larsen (79) is tied for 64th at 153.
SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPLas Vegas, Nev.Southern Highlands Golf Club (7,381 yards, par 72)
SECOND ROUND TEAM SCORES Arizona State 279-276 – 555 (-21) Florida 277-281 – 558 (-18) Georgia 284-286 – 570 (-6) Clemson 279-292 – 571 (-5) UCLA 282-291 – 573 (-3) Washington 289-284 – 573 (-3) Arizona 284-290 – 574 (-2) Georgia Tech 291-286 – 577 (+1) UNLV 289-290 – 579 (+3) Wake Forest 295-287 – 582 (+6) New Mexico 302-283 – 585 (+9) North Carolina 302-286 – 588 (+12) Augusta State 289-300 – 589 (+13) NC State 294-297 – 591 (+15) Auburn 300-297 – 597 (+21)
TOP INDIVIDUALS Bill Haas, Wake Forest 68-67 – 135 (-9) Camilo Villegas, Florida 67-69 – 136 (-8) Kevin Kisner, Georgia 72-65 – 137 (-7) Brock Mackenzie, Washington 70-67 – 137 (-7) Chez Reavie, Arizona State 69-68 – 137 (-7) Brett Stegmaier, Florida 68-69 – 137 (-7) Travis Johnson, UCLA 70-68 – 138 (-6) Ryan Moore, UNLV 69-69 – 138 (-6)
GEORGIA TECH SCORES T16 Nicholas Thompson 74-67 – 141 (-3) T16 Chan Wongluekiet 68-73 – 141 (-3) T44 Mike Barbosa 75-74 – 149 (+5) T44 Roberto Castro 77-72 – 149 (+5) T64 Kevin Larsen 74-79 – 153 (+9)
