3M Augusta Invitational 36-Hole Results
Team Top 5:
1. No. 25 UNM 277-281=558, -18
2. No. 2 Illinois 275-284=559, -17
3. No. 49 GRU Augusta 278-283=561, -15
4. No. 37 Virginia Tech 280-282=562, -14
T5. No. 31 Georgia 287-277=564, -12
T5 No. 3 Texas 279-285=564, -12
Individual Top 5:
1. Brian Campbell, Illinois 70-65=135, -9
T2. Sam Saunders, UNM 66-70=136, -8
T2. Trevor Cone, Virginia Tech 68-68=136, -8
T2. Lee McCoy, Georgia 68-68=136, -8
T5. Scottie Scheffler, Texas 67-70=137, -7
T5. Scott Vincent, Virginia Tech 67-70=137, -7
Other Lobos:
T11. Gavin Green 69-71=140, -4
T11. Gustavo Morantes 72-68=140, -4
T22. Sean Romero 70-72=142, -2
T66. Victor Perez 73-77=150, +6 (competing as an individual)
70. Andrej Bevins 77-76=153, +9
Live scoring available on golfstat.com
In Augusta, Ga., the 25th-ranked University of New Mexico men’s golf team put itself in a familiar position Saturday but with a chance to rewrite the ending.
The Lobos shot, perhaps, its best 36-hole total of the season, firing an 18-under 558 to take a one-stroke lead over No. 2 Illinois heading into Sunday’s final round of the 3M Augusta Invitational.
“We got off to a nice start,” coach Glen Millican said, “and we did a great job of taking advantage of that throughout the round. Round two wasn’t a great start, but we stayed patient and got the finish we needed.”
Senior Sam Saunders, likewise, put his best 36-hole total together, shooting an 8-under 136 (66-70) and trails the Illini’s Brian Campbell by a stroke for the individual lead.
The 15-team field includes nine ranked teams, including the No. 2 Illini and No. 3 Texas. Nine strokes separate the top seven teams – all of them ranked – heading into the final 18 holes.
Saunders, whose previous best finish this season was a tie for fifth at UNM’s home tournament, the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate in September, led after the opening round and remains in the hunt for his first career win.
“Sam’s round really was what kick-started our day,” Millican said. “It’s great to see him have that kind of round after the injury tweaks he’s had through the course of the year with his back and all the work he’s put in to get himself right and his game going.”
Senior Gavin Green and freshman Gustavo Morantes are tied for 11th at 4-under 140. Green had a wild first round, shooting two eagles and five birdies but also a triple-bogey, a double-bogey and a bogey that resulted in a 3-under 69. His afternoon round included four birdies and three bogeys.
Morantes, a native of Caracas, Venezuela who joined the team in January, had his best round as a Lobo in the afternoon session, carding a 68 on five birdies and a bogey.
| Morantes |
Gustavo deserves credit for keeping us in the position we’re in going into the final round,” Millican said. “It was a great time for him to put up his best round for us.”
Senior Sean Romero also had a strong effort, shooting a 2-uner 142 (70-72) to tie for 22nd. Sophomore Andre Bevins struggled at the Forest Hills Country Club with a 9-over 153 (77-76) to finish in 70th place after two rounds.
Senior Victor Perez, who is competing as an individual, shot a solid, 1-over 73 in the morning round but followed that with a second-round 77 and is tied for 66th.
Sunday’s final round is scheduled for a 8:10 a.m. MT tee time for the final group that includes UNM, Illinois and the host GRU Augusta (formerly Augusta State).