#8 Arkansas Sits in 2nd After Two Rds at Watersound
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – Niilo Maki-Petaja fired a 3-under-par 67 for the second straight day and #8 Arkansas was 3-under in round two as both stand in second place after 36 holes at the Watersound Invitational, played at the Third Golf Course at Watersound Club.
The Razorbacks are 14-under (546) and trail leader #3 Vanderbilt by six strokes. The Commodores were 13-under on Tuesday and moved from third to first with a two-day total of 540 (-20) . #9 Ole Miss was second after day one and fell to third after a 2-under-par 278 on Tuesday. The Rebels are 12-under (544) after 36 holes. Kentucky had the second-best team score of the day, an 8-under 272, and moved up three spots to tie #41 Florida State for fourth at-7 (553).
The Razorbacks and Rebels were battling back-and-forth for second throughout the day. Arkansas was able to play the 18th at 2-under, thanks to birdies from Erich Fortlage, Cam Smith and John Daly II, while Ole Miss had three bogeys on the hole.
Niilo Maki-Petaja moved into a tie for second after his second-straight, 3-under 67. The junior was bogey-free with birdies on holes 4, 5, 9 and 16 before dropping a shot on 18.
Thomas Curry, playing as an individual, and Fortlage are tied for 10th at 4-under through two rounds. Fortlage carded an even-par 70 thanks to birdies on holes 15 and 18. Curry, starting on hole 5, reeled off nine pars to start his second round then suffered a bogey on the par-3, 14th. He rallied with birdies on holes 16 and 1 to post his 1-under 69 and second straight under-par round.
Cam Smith (T20) and John Daly II (T37) each turned in even-par rounds of 70. Gerardo Gomez had a 73 on Tuesday and tied with Daly for 37th, each at 1-over (141) for 36 holes.
The Invitational will conclude with 18 holes on Wednesday.
Watersound Invitational
Host: Alabama
Third Golf Course at Watersound Club
Panama City Beach, Fla.
Par: 70 • 7,148 yards
Format: 5 count 4 ||18 holes each day
Results Thru Rd1:
1 #3 Vanderbilt 273-267=540 / -20
2 #8 Arkansas 269-277=546 / -14
3 #9 Ole Miss 270-278=548 / -12
T4 Kentucky 281-272=553 / -7
T4 #41 Florida State 276-277-553 / -7
6 #43 TCU 280-275=555 / -5
7 Michigan State 282-278=560 / E
8 Mississippi State 276-285=561 / E
9 #11 Alabama 285-278=563 / +3
T10 Ohio State 286-282=568 / +8
T10 UConn 287-281=568 / +8
12 Navy 281-298=579 / +19
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