HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Henderson State recorded the lowest 18-hole team score in Great American Conference Men’s Golf Championship history, extended its lead and moved closer to a third straight title on Monday from Hot Springs Country Club.
The Reddies combined for a team score of 7-under-par 281, six strokes better than any posted score in the previous four GAC Championship events. After an even-par opening nine holes. Brice Howard scorched the back nine, posting five birdies against no bogeys to card a 5-under 67. He matched the low round of the tournament and the second-best round in GAC Championship history. He moved to 6-under par and second place in the individual standings. Drew Greenwood added a 3-under-par round to climb into a tie for seventh. Mauricio Lira’s two-round total of even-par 144 placed the First-Team All-GAC golfer in a tie for seventh place.
Southern Arkansas’ George Adams continued to lead the 55-player field after he shot a 2-under 70 on Monday. He continued to tear up the par-5s as he played the four par-5s in 3-under. For the tournament, he has six birdies and an eagle on par-5s. His Muleriders will enter the final round in third place, 18 shots behind the Reddies.
SECOND ROUND RESULTS || PHOTO GALLERY || FINAL ROUND TEE TIMES
Arkansas Tech moved into second place after shooting an even-par round of 288. Dylan Lovell recorded the lone eagle of the day on the par-5 ninth hole and finished a 3-under 69; one of four sub-70 rounds on Monday. Austin Smith also improved from Sunday as his 2-under 70 moved him a tie for ninth.
Southwestern Oklahoma State, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southern Nazarene and Arkansas-Monticello remain bunched up as only five shots separated the fourth-place Bulldogs from the seventh-place Weevils. Stefan Idstam carded a sub-par round for the second-straight day as his 2-under 70 kept him four shots off the lead and in fourth place. Zach James and Hayden Foster each shot even-par rounds of 72 for the Savage Storm. Cristian Valderrama’s round of 70 included five birdies as he paced the Crimson Storm. UAM’s William Trawick remained inside the top 10 as he played his final 13 holes in 3-under-par.
East Central remained in eighth place. Jordan Bates played the four par-5s in five-under par as part of a 3-under 69 to vault him into sixth place. Harding and Northwestern Oklahoma State swapped the ninth and 10th positions.
Individually, for Oklahoma Baptist, Drew Posada and Kyle Perdew broke par with 1-under 71s. Posada’s two-day score of 4-under 140 has the senior in third place.
The final round begins at 7:30 a.m. with golfers from Harding and Northwestern Oklahoma State teeing off first.