Polender Remains in Position for National Championship Berth

May 16, 2023 | Bath Mich | Golf

Box Score

The Eagle Eye Golf Club showed its defense today with higher winds driving the scores up during Round 2 of the NCAA Bath Regional on Tuesday.

The Eagle Eye Golf Club (par 71, 7,090) played at a 1.66 higher stroke average on Tuesday due to winds gusts between 10-20 MPH. Following a below-par scoring average on Monday (70.79), the course, which features 11 out of 18 holes with water, played at a 72.45 scoring average today.

Only four teams in the 13-team regional field finished in red figures during the second round. One of those four teams was No. 6 seed Georgia, who continues to find success. The Bulldogs widened their lead to 10 strokes and will head into tomorrow’s final round with a team score of 28-under par 540 (266-274).

No. 1 seed Illinois is still chasing Georgia as they remain in second place with an overall score of 18-under par 550 (272-278).

No. 4 seed Oregon is in third place with a 15-under par 553 (279-274), followed by No. 3 seed Texas, who is in fourth place with a 12-under par 556 (275-281).

Playing at one of its hometown courses, No. 10 seed and Regional host Michigan State is holding down the coveted fifth-place spot with an 11-under par 557 (272-285).

Following play on Wednesday, the top five teams from this Regional and the other five NCAA Regionals will advance to the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship, which will be contested at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., May 26-31.

The Flames’ quest to advance to their fourth-straight national championships will be an uphill climb on Wednesday. Liberty enters the final round 16 shots behind fifth-place Michigan State, as the No. 7 seeded Flames have carded a 5-over par 573 (283-290) so far in this event.

Liberty’s Connor Polender is in a better position to make his first-ever national championship appearance as the senior has carded back-to-back under-par rounds to stand tied for 11^th place with a 4-under par 138 (68-70).

The top individual player in each of the six NCAA Regionals not on a team advancing to the national championship will earn a trip to Grayhawk Golf Club to compete as an individual.

Florida’s Fred Biondi, the No. 65 ranked golfer in the country, currently holds that spot as he is one shot clear of Polender and shares sixth place with a 5-under par 137 (69-68).

Polender and Biondi will be paired together during tomorrow’s final round, as the Flames will tee it up alongside Florida and Little Rock, starting at 9:25 a.m.

Round Recap – Liberty’s Starting Five: