EDMOND, Okla. — Junior Brian Noonan fired the lowest round of the day with a 2-under par 69 to lead the LSU men’s golf team into sole possession of second place after Monday’s second round in the inaugural Oklahoma Intercollegiate at Oak Tree Golf Club.
Noonan vaulted from a tie for 14th place after Sunday’s first round into a tie for third place after firing a 5-under 30 on his back nine for a two-round total of 4-over 146, while the Tigers posted a team round of 10-over 294 to move up one spot into second place with a 36-hole score of 32-over 600.
Junior Chris Wells remains in the Top 10 of the individual standings by following his 1-over 72 in the first round with a 5-over 76 in the second round to sit in a tie for sixth place at 6-over 148, while freshman Brent Blaum moved into a tie for 11th after firing a 1-over 72 and finishing the day at 8-over 150.
“The guys continue to improve and really came out and played well today,” said LSU head coach Chuck Winstead. “Brian and Brent both played very well today. Brian shot 5-under on his back nine on one of the toughest layouts you’ll find anywhere, and it’s great to see a young player like Brent Blaum play a solid round and gain some positive experience.”
The heavy rain and high winds that were in the local forecast to start the day stayed clear of Oak Tree Golf Club, and the Tigers teed off without the severe conditions that plagued the field on Sunday. The average 18-hole score dropped more than three strokes from 78.9 in the first round to 75.2 in Monday’s second round.
“Really the entire field had an easier day today because the weather held off better than we expected,” Winstead said. “It was a big difference from the heavy rain and 20 mph winds we fought through yesterday. We really didn’t play in any rain today once we teed off and the course played much easier because of it.”
Tulsa fired the lowest team round of the day with a 5-over 289 to take a six-stroke lead over the Tigers in the team standings heading into Tuesday’s final round with a two-round total of 26-over 594. First-round leader Ohio State fell into fourth place at 40-over 608 after posting back-to-back rounds of 20-over 304 in the first two rounds.
Tulsa senior Sam Korbe will tee off Tuesday with a two-stroke lead over Oklahoma freshman Ben Blundell in the race for medalist honors after firing an even-par 71 on Monday for a 1-over 143 in two rounds. Noonan is currently in a two-way tie for third place with Dan Rush of Ohio State and just three shots out of the lead.
The Tigers are paired with Tulsa and Baylor in Tuesday’s final round and are scheduled to tee off from the first tee beginning at 9:50 a.m. CDT. Noonan will be the last Tiger to tee it up in the final round as he is set to go off in the final pairing at 10:30 a.m.
“We look forward to the challenge we have tomorrow,” Winstead said. “The guys need to just stay focused while they’re out on the golf course tomorrow and stay in the present and play it one shot at a time. We’re looking forward to another great day of golf tomorrow before coming back home and getting ready for a busy spring season.”
OKLAHOMA INTERCOLLEGIATE ? SECOND ROUND RESULTS
TEAM SCORES (Par 568)
1. Tulsa 305-289 ? 594 +26; 2. LSU 306-294 ? 600 +32; 3. Baylor 316-290 ? 606 +38; 4. Ohio State 304-304 ? 608 +40; 5. Oklahoma 313-296 ? 609 +41; 6. Arkansas 310-302 ? 612 +44; 7. Michigan 315-299 ? 614 +46; 8. SMU 316-302 ? 618 +50
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (Par 142)
1. Sam Korbe, Tulsa, 72-71 ? 143 +1; 2. Ben Blundell, Oklahoma, 76-69 ? 145 +3; t3. Brian Noonan, LSU, 77-69 ? 146 +4; t3. Dan Rush, Ohio State, 75-71 ? 146 +4; 5. Andrew Landry, Arkansas, 71-76 ? 147 +5; t6. Chris Wells, LSU, 72-76 ? 148 +6; t6. Tim Schaetzel, Michigan, 75-73 ? 148 +6; t6. Wesley Williams, Baylor, 75-73 ? 148 +6; t6. Nicolas Geyger, Tulsa, 77-71 ? 148 +6; 10. Jack Tyler, Ohio State, 76-73 ? 149 +7
LSU SCORES
t3. Brian Noonan 77-69 ? 146 +4
t6. Chris Wells 72-76 ? 148 +6
t11. Brent Blaum 78-72 ? 150 +8
t27. Beck Troutman 79-77 ? 156 +14
45. Bryant Lach 85-78 ? 163 +21