SEA ISLAND, Ga. — After posting a 19-over par 299 in the second round Saturday, the 30th-ranked LSU men’s golf team moved into a tie for eighth place heading into the final round of the 2005 SEC Men’s Golf Championship at Sea Island Golf Club. The Tigers are tied with Mississippi State with a two-round total of 44-over 604.
LSU head coach Greg Jones said he was encouraged by what his team was able to do today in the windy conditions and is capable of putting up a solid score tomorrow to finish the tournament strong.
“There’s still a lot of golf to be played and a lot that can be attained,” Jones said. “We’re only 12 shots out of third, and what we’re looking for is to put a good round together. We felt the wind early this morning, and we know it’s going to blow out here tomorrow. It’s just a matter of getting comfortable and playing the way we’re capable.”
Freshman Brent Struthers will lead the Tigers into the final round after posting back-to-back 5-over 75s to sit in a tie for 23rd. The Baton Rouge native finished his second round with some momentum by making birdies on holes No. 17 and No. 18.
“I’m excited for Brent. I like the way he goes about his business,” Jones said. “He’s not afraid of anything. He’s just a fighter and has the talent. An example of that is how he birdied the last two holes today to get that 75 on the board, and that’s a good 75 on a day like today. I’m happy for him and I hope the four guys that are playing in front of him will go out there and take the pressure off of him.”
After shooting an 84 in the first round, senior Brandon Aydlett rebounded with the best round of the tournament for the Tigers with a 2-over 72 to tie for 45th.
We discovered something mentally with his golf swing on the range,” Jones said. “He felt comfortable with his swing today. He had a couple of loose swings yesterday that led to some big numbers, and he just put it together today. That says a lot about a person who’s a senior coming back like that after an 84.”
Sophomore Chris Wells followed his 75 in the opening round with a 76 to tie for 27th, while senior Jeff Riemann and freshman Beck Troutman are currently in a tie for 40th heading into the final round with matching 15-over 155s.
Florida fired the best score of the second round with a 12-over 292 and leads the tournament by five shots over Auburn with a two-round total of 26-over 586. First-round leader Kentucky followed its 10-over 290 in the first round with a 22-over 302 in the second to sit in third place.
Richard Scott of Georgia continues to lead the tournament by one shot over David Skinns of Tennessee and Gator Todd of Alabama with a total of 1-over 141. Luke List of Vanderbilt is in fourth, while Kentucky’s John Holmes and Arkansas’ Eric Shriver are tied for fifth.
Final-round action starts at 7 a.m. CDT with LSU teeing off beginning at 7:50 a.m. and running through 8:30 a.m. The Tigers will be paired with Mississippi State and South Carolina, and live scoring can be accessed through LSUsports.net.
SEC MEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP — SECOND ROUND
TEAM SCORES (Par 560)
1. Florida 294-292 — 586 +26; 2. Auburn 296-295 — 591 +31; 3. Kentucky 290-302 — 592 +32; 4. Georgia 302-292 — 594 +34; 5. Alabama 295-300 — 595 +35; 6. Tennessee 298-298 — 596 +36; 7. South Carolina 298-300 — 598 +38; t8. LSU 305-299 — 604 +44; t8. Mississippi State 303-301 — 604 +44; 10. Vanderbilt 306-302 — 608 +48; 11. Arkansas 305-304 — 609 +49; 12. Ole Miss 311-309 — 620 +60
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (Par 140)
1. Richard Scott, Georgia, 68-73 — 141 +1; t2. David Skinns, Tennessee, 72-70 — 142 +2; t2. Gator Todd, Alabama, 71-71 — 142 +2; 4. Luke List, Vanderbilt, 73-70 — 143 +3; t5. John Holmes, Kentucky, 69-75 — 144 +4; t5. Eric Shriver, Arkansas, 72-72 — 144 +4; t7. Matt Every, Florida, 71-74 — 145 +5; t7. Brett Stegmaier, Florida, 75-70 — 145 +5; t7. James Vargas, Florida, 72-73 — 145 +5; 10. Matthew Myers, Auburn, 73-73 — 146 +6
LSU SCORES
t23. Brent Struthers 75-75 — 150 +10
t27. Chris Wells 75-76 — 151 +11
t40. Jeff Riemann 76-79 — 155 +15
t40. Beck Troutman 79-76 — 155 +15
t45. Brandon Aydlett 84-72 — 156 +16