SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – With 36 holes in the books, No. 12 Auburn men's golf rose three spots up the leaderboard at the NCAA Championship, shooting 6-over Saturday at Grayhawk Golf Club for a two-day total of 574 (+14).
The Tigers are tied for 11th, two shots ahead of the 15th place cutline that with follow Sunday's third round.
On Saturday, the Orange & Blue lineup found a little more consistency with a pair of 71s, a pair of 72s and a 74. Senior Alex Vogelsong and freshman Reed Lotter delivered the day's best performances.
Vogelsong birdied two of his final four holes, 6 and 9, to shoot two-under on his back half and lock up the 1-over 71. Lotter made birdie three times, on 2, 10 and 13, to highlight his scorecard.
"Today felt a lot better than yesterday," Lotter said. "I struck the ball really well and am focused on improving my tempo and my putting for tomorrow. It's a hard course. You've got to stay in the moment. I'm heading into the third round feeling like I've got a solid game plan, so I'm going to take some confidence from that."
Juniors Carson Bacha and J.M. Butler followed with the 2-over 72s. Bacha found birdies on 6, 8 and 16 while Butler found four of his own on 6, 10, 12 and 17. Sophomore Brendan Valdes carded a 4-over 74 for the round's drop score.
Butler will lead off for Auburn on Sunday, beginning at 9:27 a.m. CT. Tee times will be in 11-minute intervals. The Tigers will play alongside Alabama and Texas A&M.
| Placement | Golfer | R1 | R2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T13 | Carson Bacha | 68 (-2) | 72 (+2) | 140 (E) |
| T24 | Alex Vogelsong | 71 (+1) | 71 (+1) | 142 (+2) |
| T84 | Brendan Valdes | 73 (+3) | 74 (+4) | 147 (+7) |
| T84 | Reed Lotter | 76 (+6) | 71 (+1) | 147 (+7) |
| T95 | J.M. Butler | 76 (+6) | 72 (+2) | 148 (+8) |
| T11th | TEAM | 288 (+8) | 286 (+6) | 574 (+14) |