🏌️ Jayhawks in Top 10 After Round 2 of NCAA Championships
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Kansas Men’s Golf Team received a brilliant round from senior Callum Bruce on Saturday to stay in the hunt at the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club.
Battling brutally tough afternoon conditions in the desert, the Jayhawks shot +17 as a team and have a team score of +23 through two rounds, which puts them in a tie for 10th with Georgia. No. 1 ranked Oklahoma leads the field at +2.
Sunday’s third round will be the final one to feature all 30 teams, as there will be a cut down to 15 after Sunday. The top 15 will then take the course Monday, with the top eight advancing to match play, which begins Tuesday.
By being in the Top 10 after two rounds, the Jayhawks have secured a morning tee time for Sunday, which has proven to be a huge advantage at Grayhawk. Kansas has Bruce to thank in large part for the early tee time on Sunday.
A graduate transfer from San Diego State, who has NCAA Championships experience with the Aztecs, Bruce shot an even par 70 on Saturday and is tied for ninth through two rounds at +1. Cole Sherwood from Vanderbilt is leading the tournament at -3.
“It was hard out there; every shot, every putt, it was an absolute grind,” Coach Jamie Bermel said. “Not a lot of birdies, couldn’t get too close to pins. But what a round from Callum Bruce today. He kind of saved us.”
Bruce’s 70 was tied for the best round of any player in the field that went off in the afternoon wave. The Banff, Scotland native birdied his first two holes, teeing off on No. 10. After bogeys at 14 and 18, Bruce fell to 1-over on his round when he bogeyed No. 3. But he bounced right back and birdied the par-five fourth hole. He then parred his final five holes to register a 70.
Bruce was battling an illness at the NCAA Bryan Regional and was taken out of the lineup after the first round of the tournament. Coming to Scottsdale, Coach Jamie Bermel wasn’t sure if Bruce would be in the lineup or not.
“It really wasn’t until late Thursday night that we made the decision to put Callum in,” Bermel said. “He’s responded great.”
Fellow senior Ben Sigel had the second-best round for the Jayhawks, shooting a 4-over 74. Sigel was 4-over through six holes, and was six over with four to play, but birdies at holes six and seven – his 15th and 16th holes of the day – got him back to 4-over for the day and help the Jayhawks stay inside the Top 10. Sigel is tied for 65th.
Sophomore William Duquette picked up a birdie at No. 11 and shot a 76. Sophomore Luke Kluver shot a 77 and senior Harry Hillier finished with an 83.
The Jayhawks will tee off beginning at 9:27 a.m., CT on Hole No. 10, and will be grouped with Georgia and Ole Miss. Duquette will be the first to tee off, followed by Hillier, Kluver, Sigel and Bruce.
“It’s a huge advantage to go in the morning because the wind picks up and the course bakes out and gets really firm and the putts are hard to make (in the afternoon),” Bermel said.
Live stats will once again be provided through Golfstat.
