AWENDAW, S.C. — The 23rd-ranked LSU men’s golf team fired its lowest 18-hole score of the season with an impressive 9-under par round of 275 to move up one spot into second place after Monday’s second round at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate at Bulls Bay Golf Club.
The Tigers blistered the course in the second round to finish the afternoon with a 36-hole score of 4-under 564 and put themselves in position to contend for their third tournament title of the year.
Augusta State will carry a six-stroke lead into Tuesday’s final round after lighting up the course to the tune of 12-under 272 for the lowest team score of the day. The Jaguars were impressive by finishing the day at 10-under 558 for the three day, 54-hole championship.
Central Florida follows LSU in third place in the team standings at 3-under 565, while Virginia is in fourth place at 2-under 566 and both NC State and Clemson are tied for fifth at even-par 568.
LSU sophomore John Peterson is also in the hunt for the individual title after finishing Monday’s action in sole possession of second place. After opening the tournament with a 3-under 68 in the first round, Peterson carded five birdies to go along with just one bogey for an impressive 4-under par round of 67 on Monday and a two-day total of 7-under 135 for the championship.
Peterson got off to a fast start for the second-straight round after making a birdie on the par-three third followed by a birdie on the par-four fifth holes. He then made the turn at 3-under par for his round following a birdie on the par-four eighth. After giving a stroke back with a bogey at the par four 15th, Peterson made back-to-back birdies on the par-three 17th and par-four 18th holes.
The Fort Worth, Texas, native is looking to win his second individual crown of the spring season after leading the Tigers to the team title with a win at the John Hayt Invitational on Feb. 23.
Fellow sophomore Andrew Loupe fired a matching score of 4-under 67 to finish the round in a tie for ninth place at 1-under 141. Like Peterson, Loupe made five birdies and one bogey on the day en route to a 67. He raced out of the blocks with consecutive birdies on the par-four first and par-five second before adding birdies on the par-five 10th, par-three 14th and par-four 16th holes.
Senior Jarrod Barsamian was the third Tiger to finish under par on the afternoon as he fired an 18 hole score of 1-under 70 to tie for 41st place at 5-over 147. Sophomore Clayton Rotz contributed an even-par round of 71 to LSU’s team total as he now sits in a tie for 41st at 6-over 148.
Junior Brent Blaum is on the verge of earning a Top 20 finish of his own after posting a 2-over 73 on Monday to finish the day in a tie for 22nd place at 1-over 143.
Augusta State senior Janne Kaske will head into the final round with a one-stroke advantage over Peterson in the hunt for medalist honors. Kaske fired his second-straight round of 4-under 67 with a 36-hole score of 8-under 134. South Carolina’s George Bryan IV is also in position to challenge for the individual as he sits two shots back in third place at 6-under 136.
The Tigers are paired with Augusta State and Central Florida in the final round and will tee it up from the front nine beginning at 8:40 a.m. CT on Tuesday. Live scoring of the final round of this year’s Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate can be found online at www.golfstat.com.
LSU will follow its trip to South Carolina with an appearance in the Reunion Intercollegiate to be held at Reunion Golf and Country Club in Jackson, Miss., from April 6-7.
HOOTIE AT BULLS BAY INTERCOLLEGIATE ? SECOND ROUND RESULTS
TEAM SCORES (Par 568)
1. Augusta State 286-272 ? 558 -10; 2. LSU 289-275 ? 564 -4; 3. Central Florida 291-274 ? 565 -3; 4. Virginia 288-278 ? 566 -2; T5. NC State 289-279 ? 568 E; T5. Clemson 294-274 ? 568 E; 7. South Carolina 291-279 ? 570 +2; 8. Wake Forest 293-278 ? 571 +3; 9. Kentucky 300-273 ? 573 +5; 10. Chattanooga 292-285 ? 577 +9; 11. North Carolina 299-282 ? 581 +13; 12. College of Charleston 307-286 ? 593 +25; 13. Georgia State 303-293 ? 596 +28; 14. Maryland 304-293 ? 597 +29; 15. South Carolina-Aiken 307-296 ? 603 +35.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (Par 142)
1. Janne Kaske, Augusta State, 67-67 ? 134 -8; 2. John Peterson, LSU, 68-67 ? 135 -7; 3. George Bryan IV, South Carolina, 69-67 ? 136 -6; 4. Jordan Blann, Kentucky, 74-64 ? 138 -4; T5. Will Collins, Virginia, 69-70 ? 139 -3; T5. Ben Martin, Clemson, 73-66 ? 139 -3; T7. Jake Amos, Augusta State, 73-67 ? 140 -2; T7. Blayne Barber, Central Florida, 75-65 ? 140 -2; T9. Andrew Loupe 74-67 ? 141 -1; T9. Matt Hill, NC State, 72-69 ? 141 -1; T9. Phillip Mollica, Clemson, 72-69 ? 141 -1; T9. Conrad von Borsig, Virginia, 72-69 ? 141 -1; T9. Travis Wadkins, Wake Forest, 69-72 ? 141 -1; T9. Simon Ward, Central Florida, 70-71 ? 141 -1; T9. Andy Winings, Kentucky, 76-65 ? 141 -1.
LSU SCORES
2. John Peterson, 68-67 ? 135 -7
T9. Andrew Loupe, 74-67 ? 141 -1
T22. Brent Blaum, 70-73 ? 143 +1
T41. Jarrod Barsamian, 77-70 ? 147 +5
T46. Clayton Rotz, 77-71 148 +6