#9 Arkansas, Cam Smith Go Low at CABO, Razorbacks Lead at -17
LOS CABOS, Mexico – All five Razorbacks shot par or better in round two of the 16th annual CABO COLLEGIATE – including a 66 from Cam Smith – as #9 Arkansas carded a 14-under-par round to vault to the top of the leaderboard with a two-day, 17-under-par total of 551 (281-270).
In addition to Smith’s 66 (-5), Erich Fortlage, who is tied for second, fired a 67 (-4), John Daly II carded a 68 (-3), Gerardo Gomez, who is tied for second, turned in a 69 (-2) and Thomas Curry was even with a 71.
Round one leader #11 Oklahoma State bounced back-and-forth with Arkansas atop the leaderboard, but ultimately shot 10-under on Monday and is three strokes back at 554 (280-274) for 36 holes. #7 Arizona State is at 11-under (557), followed by Rice (560) and #13 Ole Miss (583) to round out the top 5.
Smith’s 66 tied his career-low total and, after cutting 13 strokes off his opening round score, he moved 33 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 42nd (79-66=145 / +3). He started his round on hole 4 and promptly suffered a bogey. He bounced back with an eagle on the 362-yard, par-4 5th. His drive left him 22 yards short of the green. He played a bump-and-run off a mound short of the putting surface and, once it hit the green, tracked straight into the middle of the cup. He followed with a birdie and, after a bogey on 8, he reeled off five birdies over his next eight holes. To get to 6-under for the day. Unfortunately, he dropped a shot on his final hole to record his 5-under, 66.
Fortlage and Gomez are tied for second at -6 (136) and six strokes off the pace. The pair flipped rounds with Fortlage going 69-67 and Gomez going 67-69.
Fortlage, who started on hole 2, opened his second round with a birdie, then fell back to even with a bogey on hole 3. After eight straight pars, Fortlage had birdies on holes 12, 13, 16 and 18 to get to 4-under for the day and 6-under for the tournament.
Gomez played his first 21 holes at -7 thanks to starting his round Tuesday with three birdies. He was 1-over on his back nine, with three bogeys and two birdies, to post his 136.
Curry is tied for ninth (67-71=138 / -4). He was even par on day two with birdies on holes 1 and 7 and bogeys on holes 14 and 15.
Daly, who started on hole 3, also had a big second round with a 68, shaving 10 strokes off his opening round. He was even through 15 holes with three bogeys and three birdies. Then, on the 593-yard, par-5 16th, Daly carded an eagle 3. After pars on holes 17, 18 and 1, Daly closed his round with a birdie on the par-4 2nd.
Niilo Maki-Pataja, playing as an individual, is tied for 45th (72-74=146 / +4).
The third and final round of the CABO COLLEGIATE will be played on Tuesday.
CABO COLLEGIATE
Host: Arkansas || B.A. and Rodger Kline Foundation
Twin Dolphin Club
Los Cabos, Mexico
Par: 71 • 7,156 yards
Format: 5 count 4 ||18 holes each day
RESULTS THRU RD2:
1 #9 ARKANSAS 281-270=551 / -17
2 #11 Oklahoma State 280-274=554 / -14
3 #7 Arizona State 281-276=557 / -11
4 Rice 282-278=560 / -8
5 #13 Ole Miss 282-281=563 / -5
6 #18 Tennessee 284-280=564 / -4
7 #27 Arizona 288-281=569 / +1
8 #17 Georgia Tech 283-288=571 / +3
9 #36 Florida State 285-287=572 / +4
10 #20 Stanford 286-287=573 / +5
11 #5 Vanderbilt 292-285=577 / +9
12 Cal 282-296=578 / +10
13 Houston 298-289=587 / +19
14 UC Santa Barbara 299-295=594 / +26
15 Loyola (Md.) 300-301=601 / +33
For more information on Arkansas Men’s Golf, X and Instagram.
