CARLSBAD, Calif. – After two rounds of play at the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships, Virginia holds down first place at 1-over 577. UVA posted a second-round score of 1-under 287 at the Omni La Costa Resort North Course. It marks the first time a Virginia team has led the event at the mid-point of stroke play.
Virginia holds a three-shot advantage over second-place Illinois and is six shots ahead of No. 3 Vanderbilt. Those were the only three teams to shoot under par during Saturday’s play.
Following Sunday’s third round, the field will be cut to 15 teams for the final round of stroke play on Monday that also decides the individual champion. The top eight teams from stroke play advance to the match play portion of the championships that takes place Tuesday (quarterfinals and semifinals) and Wednesday (finals). Last season UVA reached match play and was eliminated by eventual NCAA Champion Florida 3-2 in the quarterfinals.
Through two rounds of competition, Virginia’s play has been consistent from top-to-bottom in its five-man lineup. UVA is the only team in the field to have posted just one score over bogey during the first two rounds that includes 180 holes of competition. That came during the opening round when Ben James carded a two-over six on the par-4 13th hole.
Senior George Duangmanee ended his round in second place overall at 2-under 142 after back-to-back scores of 71. Saturday, Duangmanee posted three consecutive birdies on holes 14, 15 and 16, a stretch of the course that has proven to be the most difficult for the field. He finished his round with four birdies and three bogeys.
“I thought I played pretty solid today,” said Duangmanee, who finished 79th at last year’s NCAA Championships. “I hit it off the tee into position on the fairways, and from there you can attack the pins. It’s a ball striking golf course, so hitting the fairways is a big advantage out here. I did play solid overall, so I’m happy with that.”
UVA All-American Ben James, the 2023 NCAA Freshman of the Year, also posted a second-round score of 71 by recording four birdies and three bogeys.
“The course is playing pretty hard,” James said. “It is firm and fast. I hit my driver really good today and made some putts. I was able to get out of trouble. I made some good bogeys when I was in trouble. That’s kind of the key, to keep the doubles off the card. That was my one goal, to eliminate the big numbers. I did that and took…
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