SUGAR GROVE, Ill. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF men's golf team had a long day at Rich Harvest Farms Saturday. But more than 12 hours at the golf course was all worth it in the end. The Knights moved up seven spots on the leaderboard and sit in a tie for 14th place at the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship.
The Knights dealt with more than three hours of rain delays during Friday's first round and were among numerous teams who had to finish their first round Saturday. The Knights were up by 3:30 a.m. and on the course at 6:30 a.m. to finish the first round.
By the end of the first round, the Knights were in 21st place after carding a score of 294. They came back later in the day to and improved by 10 strokes, firing a 284 (-4). UCF is now 2-over par for the tournament. The top 15 teams in the 30-team tournament after Sunday's third round will move on to Monday's final round of stroke play.
"I'm really proud of the effort," head coach Bryce Wallor said. "We were up at 3:30 in the morning and on the road by 4:30 to get to the golf course. They just put 27 holes up and didn't finish dinner until 9:30 (p.m.) last night. A lot of effort, a lot of heart for our guys."
The Knights were led Saturday by sophomore Kyler Tate. The Winter Garden, Fla. native matched the best 18-hole score of the tournament so far with a 66 in the second round. His two-round total of 139 (-5) is good enough to have him in a tie for 14th place. He is just three strokes off the individual lead.
"I just played really solid on the second 18," Tate said of Saturday's second round. "Things seemed to go my way. I got a few breaks and just made a bunch of birdies."
Wallor said some changes to his putting style and getting a new driver have been beneficial to Tate's game and it showed Saturday.
"I think he's really building some confidence," Wallor said. "The last few weeks, we're really starting to see some power off the tee, some distance off the tee. I just think he's becoming more confident in what he's doing."
Tate isn't the only Knight who had a solid second round. Freshman Bobby Bai was 3-under for the second 18 holes, moving to -2 for the tournament. Bai is currently tied for 28th place. Junior Juuso Kahlos turned in a 2-over score of 74 in the second round to account for the Knights' third score of the day. Junior Manuel Elvira was 3-over and rounded out the UCF scoring in the second round. Ryan Stovash rounds out the Knights' lineup.
The Knights are scheduled to be back on the course Sunday morning at 8:35 a.m. They will be paired with Oregon and Iowa State. The Ducks are tied for 12th and the Cyclones are tied with UCF at 14th. UNLV holds the lead at 14-under.
Should the Knights make the Top 15 cut after tomorrow's round, they will play one more round of stroke play Monday. An individual champion will be crowned Monday and the top eight teams in the remaining 15 will qualify for match play. The match play portion of the tournament will be held Tuesday and Wednesday to determine the national champions.
