April 28, 2014
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Andy Seeley
UCFKnights.com
INNISBROOK, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF men's golf team survived The Snake Pit Monday, despite being bitten a time or two.
The Knights maintained the lead after two rounds at the American Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championship. UCF entered the second round with a four-stroke edge and came out with a one-stroke lead over SMU. The lead shrunk in part due to six UCF bogeys on the final three holes at the Copperhead Course at the Innisbrook Resort.
Those final three holes are dubbed The Snake Pit and are known as some of the toughest finishing holes on the PGA Tour.
It's a difficult golf course, UCF head coach Bryce Wallor said. It started you with a par 5 straight downwind, so you can get off to a very quick start. But the whole golf course turns into uphill, into the wind and sidehill into the wind. Tough conditions today, good pins, little bit of wind out there.
But I'm pleased, Wallor continued. You start the first round, you're always tied. So if we've got a lead going into the final round, we're in a better place than where we started. The guys have played really well.
The Knights followed up Sunday's score of 283 with a tally of 289 Monday. UCF was paced by Greg Eason Monday, who turned in an even-par round of 71. His two-round total of 143 is good enough for a tie for sixth heading into the final round.
Linus Vaisanen was the leader after the first round. He posted a 1-over 72 Tuesday to sit at 3-under for the tournament, one stroke off the lead. Ricardo Gouveia also has a two-round total of 143 after a second-round 73 and is tied with Eason for sixth place. Kyle Wilshire and Federico Zucchetti also turned in scores of 73 Monday. Wilshire sits in a tie for 17th, while Zucchetti is tied for 23rd.
The Knights tee off at 9:40 a.m. for Tuesday's third and final round of the American Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championship. Follow live scoring here. The Knights will be paired with SMU in the final round. The Mustangs one stroke back, while Houston, USF and Louisville round out the top five at six, seven and eight strokes off the pace, respectively.