Flyers Extend Lead After Two Rounds at NJCAA Division III National Championship
The Sandhills Community College men's golf team strengthened its position atop the leaderboard Wednesday after two rounds of the NJCAA Division III Men's Golf National Championship at Chautauqua Golf Club.
The Flyers followed up an opening-round score of 6-over-par with a tournament-best 1-under-par team round on Wednesday, improving their two-day total to 5-over par and extending their lead to 20 strokes over second-place Georgia Military College (+25).
Sandhills enters Thursday's third round in command of the team race as it seeks an unprecedented sixth consecutive NJCAA Division III National Championship. Delta College moved into third place at +29, followed by College of DuPage (+31) and Community College of Morris (+47).
The Flyers were once again led by a balanced lineup that features four players inside the top 20 individually.
Sebastian Haug made the biggest move of the day, firing a 3-under-par 69 in the second round. After opening the tournament with a 74, Haug's strong performance vaulted him into second place overall at 1-under-par for the championship, just one stroke behind individual leader Jake Morgan of Community College of Morris.
Vegas Melen, who opened the tournament with a 1-under-par 71, remains firmly in contention after a second-round 75. Melen is tied for third place individually at 2-over par through 36 holes.
Trace Wallace continued his steady play with a second consecutive round in the mid-70s and sits in eighth place overall at 5-over par.
Wyatt Beaver rounds out the Flyers' scoring group and is tied for 19th place at 10-over par after two rounds.
The depth of the Sandhills lineup proved to be the difference again Wednesday as the Flyers posted the only under-par team round among the tournament's top teams and increased their overnight advantage from six strokes to twenty.
With two rounds remaining, Sandhills controls both the team race and has multiple golfers positioned near the top of the individual leaderboard.
The championship continues Thursday with Round 3 before concluding Friday with the final round at Chautauqua Golf Club in Chautauqua, New York.
