University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
Sea Trail Intercollegiate
Spartans 7th At Sea Trail Intercollegiate
9/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sunset Beach, S.C. – Will Graves turned in his second straight solid round and the USC Upstate men's golf team shot a second round 295 at the Sea Trail Intercollegiate on Saturday, good for seventh in the team standings heading into Sunday's final round.
Upstate owns a 579 total and is tied for seventh with Guilford. The Spartans are eight strokes out of second place. Elon, which hosts the tournament, shot a second round 284 and leads the tournament by 12 strokes.
High Point is second at 571 and is followed by George Mason (573), Charleston Southern (574), Samford (576), Wofford (577), Upstate (579), Guilford (579), Stetson (581), Delaware (581), Bethune-Cookman (588) and Appalachian State (595).
Graves (Rock Hill, S.C.) led the Spartans on the day, shooting an even-par 72. He has moved into a tie for 18th in the tournament with a 145 total after opening the tournament with a 73 on Friday.
"Will is playing with lots of composure and confidence," said Upstate head coach Todd Lawton. "After he doubled his seventh hole, he followed with birdies on his 8th, 9th and 11th. I like the way he's approaching each shot as an opportunity."
McKenzie Oref (Easley, S.C.), who tied Upstate's lowest round and broke the lowest score under par record with a 66 on Friday, carded a 77 on Saturday. He is currently the low Spartan in the tournament and is tied for 11th with a 36-hole, 143 total.
Brad Sill (Spartanburg) and Matthew Hopper (Gaffney, S.C.) each shot a 73 on Saturday to help the Spartan cause. Sill is tied for 25th individually with a 146 total. Hopper owns a 147 total and is tied for 35th. Tyler Comer (Pacolet Mills, S.C.) carded a 77 on Saturday and is tied for 49th with a 149 total.
Elon's Tanner Norton followed an impressive 64 on Friday with a strong 69 on Saturday to retain the individual lead. He stands 11-under-par and owns a three-stroke lead over High Point's Chase Wilson.
"We lost some ground today with an average performance," said Lawton. "Not having a score in the 60's on this course and counting 77 doesn't work. There's no doubt a low team score is out there for us tomorrow. We have to prepare mentally to attack the pins from the fairways and putt with confidence."
